How Strong Do You Think I Am?
by Detective-JazzyFe
Summary: It's been 9 months since she heard from him. No calls, texts, messages–nothing. But he sends her this instead. She stared down at her Semper Fidelis necklace, tears falling down her face. "How strong do you think I am? How much more can I take of this?"
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nada. Dick Wolf is the man, and you can't beat the man... unless you're Chuck Norris. The song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson, which is from Instant Star. Search it up on YouTube if you're interested!**

**A/N: So this is my first SVU fic! It was kind of hard to think about what to write. However, this song came up on my iTunes and it thought, "HEY! This fits Liv so well!" So I decided to do a song fic... I'm not sure how song fic stories go, but I'm just gonna go with what I have. Anyway, here is the first chapter... it's a little short, but just stay with me here! Enjoy.**

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><p><strong><span>How Strong Do You Think I Am? - Chapter 1<span>**

_If I don't cry, do you think I don't feel?_

_If I look away, it doesn't mean I don't see,_

_And just because I wasn't someone when I'm alone,_

_Doesn't mean I'm helpless,_

_That I can't stand on my own._

_How far can we go before we break?_

_How long can I wait?_

Today was just another long day at the 1-6 precinct. People came in and out, a couple of interrogations here and there, a few trips out into Manhattan to question suspects, a little bit of arguing about a case, and listening to another one of Munch's conspiracy theories.

A lot has changed within the last 9 months in the Special Victims unit. The squad room was renovated, both Casey Novak and Alex Cabot are back working in the DA office, two new detectives, Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins, joined the squad, and one of the best detectives left. Elliot Stabler's departure has taken a toll on Olivia. The day she heard about Elliot handing in his papers from Captain Cragen was the worse. She broke down into tears in one of the interrogation rooms. Days later, Cragen ordered her to clean his desk. It couldn't stay as his "shrine" any longer. So Olivia did what the captain asked. She cleaned everything off his desk. Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola watched Olivia as she placed Elliot's belongings in the box. He could tell that she was hurting badly. It hurt him to see her upset. Once Olivia was done with the task, she sat the box next to her desk. It hasn't moved since.

Olivia sat back in her chair and stared down at the pile of paper work that awaits her. She grabbed the closest pen and a file. She began filling out a DD5 on the current case she is working on with her new partner Amaro. He was a nice guy that obviously cared about the job as much as she and the rest of the squad did. However, Amaro was no Stabler. She tried to keep her anger and sadness out of the squad room when it came to Amaro and Rollins, but it is starting to build up more and more inside.

Olivia stayed strong while she was out in the field. She stayed strong for her victims, but her anger sometimes got the best of her. Although she can still focus on her work, it still takes a little bit of time to stay focused. She has not been able to function to the best of her ability since Elliot left. Yes, she understood why he left. The shooting that took place 9 months ago took a toll out on everyone. The 1-6 lost someone close to them, Sister Peg. She has been a big help when it came to dealing with some cases. Having Sister Peg die in her arms was very hard because it was the second person she lost. ADA Sonya Paxton also died during the investigation they had with Alicia Harding's stalker. Elliot shot and killed a young girl, who was the victim's daughter on a case they were working on. She came into the squad room and began shooting her gun at everywhere and at everything. He took a shot at her to stop her from shooting anyone else. Unfortunately, the shot killed her as he held her in his arms. Something that drastic can change someone in a big way. After the shooting, Elliot left—no word about where he was going, how long he will be gone, or when he was coming back. Even though Olivia wasn't mad at him for leaving, it didn't stop her from being pissed about him not saying anything to him. Just a simple phone call would have been enough for her. Just to hear it from him instead of Cragen 9 months later would have been fine.

Fin and Munch walked into the bullpen arguing with each other.

"Can't you just shut the hell up about this shit? Your old ass is constantly comin' up with dumb shit that don't make sense." Fin spat.

"And what exactly is Munch talking about now?" Detective Amanda Rollins asked raising up from her desk.

"We just had snow and it's only November 3rd. I'm telling you, 2012 is in the making." Amanda rolled her eyes and chuckled as she walked over to Fin's desk. "Fine, don't believe me."

"I think that's the best thing you said all day." Fin laughed. Munch sat down at his desk and glanced over toward Olivia.

"Doing okay over there, Liv?"

Olivia glanced up from her DD5's and gave a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Munch continued to look at the detective, obviously aware that she is lying. She hasn't been completely herself in a while. He got up from his desk and walked over to the coffee machine. "Coffee anyone?"

"Sure, I need a refill over here." Detective Nick Amaro said as he walked in.

"I don't think you wanna do that, Amaro." Fin said with a laugh.

Nick shot him a confused look and then looked at Olivia, who was shaking her head. "You know what, never mind. I think I'll pass, John."

Munch shrugged his shoulders and directed his attention back to the machine. "Suit yourself. You don't know what you're missing."

Captain Cragen then walked out his office with a concerned look. "We have a new vic down at Mercy. Rollins, Tutuola, you two go."

"Sure, cap." Fin and Amanda grabbed their coats and made their way to the elevator.

Cragen turned towards Olivia, "Liv, can I see you in my office?"

"Uh, yeah, sure captain." Olivia dropped her pen on the desk and followed the captain into his office. He took at seat at his desk as Olivia closed the door. "What's up?"

Cragen looked at the detective and sighed. "You have to get rid of the box, Liv."

Olivia felt her throat tightening up. "I-I will, captain. I haven't had the time to finish cleaning up Elliot's things."

"Well now you do. I need his locker cleaned out by the end of today. So I suggest you do it now. We can't keep his stuff here any longer." With that being said, Olivia automatically left the office. She felt her blood boiling, but tried to keep calm as she walked to her desk. She picked up the box that sat next to her box and started to make her way to the locker room.

"Detective Benson?" a uniform cop shouted. Olivia turned to see the cop walking in from the elevator.

"Yes?"

"This came for you." He said as he handed her a box. Nothing was on it but her name.

"Who gave you this?"

"Some girl came in downstairs and said to give this to you."

"What did she look like? Did she say what her name was?"

"She's tall, blonde hair, skinny, maybe in her late teens or early twenties. Didn't say who she was. She gave me the box and left before I could ask her anything else."

Olivia studied the small box that sat in her hand. She gave the uniform cop a small smile and thanked him for bringing her the box. She continued her trip to the locker room. She entered the room and walked over to Elliot's locker. She sat the two boxes a bench and grabbed the big scissors. She cut the lock on the door and tossed it aside. She opened the locker to find a few of Elliot's NYPD t-shirts, the gray hoodie she knew too well, and some empty water bottles. She threw the t-shirts in the box and tossed the water bottles. She grabbed the hoodie and tied it around her waist. She slowly closed the locker door and sighed.

That was it. Everything that Elliot Stabler owned was now contained in one big box… and around her waist. She sat down on the bench and picked up the small box she received moments before. She opened it to find a gold medallion lying inside on a gold chain. She gasped as she read the engraving on the medallion. Semper Fidelis. This belonged to Elliot. This was his medal from the marines. But why was this delivered to her? She picked up the necklace and studied every little detail. Tears started to appear, but she quickly wiped them away.

_How strong do you think I am?_

_How much can I take of this?_

_Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?_

_Or the breath at the end of a kiss?_

She noticed that there was a note lying under the necklace. She opened the note and instantly recognized the handwriting. It was from him. She began to read the note.

_**Liv,**_

_**By now I imagine that you know that I'm not coming back. All I can say is sorry… I'm sorry that I didn't tell you myself. I'm sorry that I left you completely out of the blue. I'm sorry that I didn't stay in touch or answered your messages. I just couldn't take it anymore, Liv. I killed that girl. I was afraid of what she'd do next, who she'd kill next. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she shot you. That day goes in my mind all the time, with the same ending on replay. **_

_**I sent Kathleen to the precinct to give you this, my Semper Fidelis medal. I don't want you to feel alone anymore. Keep this with you at all times, that way you know that I'm always with you. Look up the meaning of Semper Fidelis and you'll know. Again, I am sorry for not returning your messages. I promise we will talk soon. I don't know when, but we will. **_

_**Take care, Liv. Talk to you soon.**_

_**El**_

She couldn't believe it. After all this time, he sent his daughter to give her this. She wanted to be angry with him. She wanted to be furious with him and the fact that he ignored her. At the same time, she felt his pain; she understood why he did what he did.

But still… all of this was eating her alive. It's been 9 months since she heard from him. No calls, texts, messages–nothing. And he sends her this instead. She stared down at her Semper Fidelis necklace, tears falling down her face. "How strong do you think I am? How much more can I take of this?" she sobs quietly. She wrapped the gray hoodie around her as she broke down in the locker room, wishing that her best friend would come back.

_How strong do you think I am?_

_How much can I take of this?_

_Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?_

_Or the breath at the end of a kiss?_

_How deep do you want to go, because I'll go there if I can,_

_You make it harder than it has to be,_

_How strong, how strong do you think I am?_

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><p><strong>So... whatcha think? Comments? Thoughts? Let me know! Leave a review or PM me. I'm dying to know what you're thinking! All feedback is greatly appreciated... it'll help me with the next chapter!<strong>

**P.S. - if you're into marching band, or something along those lines, check out my latest story _Welcome to the 8th Grade!_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Let's just say that if I owned everything Dick Wolf has, I'd find a way to get Chris Meloni the money he deserves. I just own this story and any characters and places I create. The song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson, which is from Instant Star. Search it up on YouTube if you're interested!**

_**A/N: Enjoy!**_

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><p><strong>Stabler Residence<br>****72-12 Castleside Street, Glen Oaks Queens, NY  
><strong>**Thursday, November 4**

Elliot Stabler sat on the long sofa in the living room, watching is youngest son, Eli. Eli was playing with toys as he watched his daily cartoons on TV. Elliot studied his son, eyeing his every move. Eli turns 4 in less than two weeks and he couldn't believe how much he has grown. His mind then went from thinking about his son to her. He's tried to not think about her since the shooting, but it's kind of hard when everything around reminds him of her. Eli is one of those reminders. She helped keep Kathy alive when that terrible car accident happened. She helped the EMT deliver Eli. She helped keep Eli safe on their way to the hospital when the EMT helped Kathy. Elliot treasured his youngest son. Even though his birth was not planned, he is truly grateful for his presence now. If he lost his son or wife in that car accident, there was no telling what he would have done.

His wife… Kathy has been a little less stressed at home since Elliot has been there. With all the free time he now has, it gives him a chance to help around the house and with the kids. Although Maureen was living on her own and Kathleen was away at school, they still come around the house to see the family. With the twins dealing with their high school lives and a new toddler being around, it just made things very stressful for Kathy. Now that Elliot was home, it made some things a little better. Unfortunately, it did not stop the two of them from fighting. Fights occurred more frequently. During the past 9 months Elliot hasn't been himself. He still communicated with his children, helped with chores around the house, but he wasn't himself. The shooting killed something inside of him. It made it harder for Kathy to talk to him. She would ask questions about the shooting, what happened, why he quit the force. Instead of answering her questions, Elliot just ignored it. He would tell her that she wouldn't understand. The arguments would then turn into something about Olivia and it would end in a very bad place. However, Elliot tried his best to stick through it for the sake of his children. Little did he know, all of his children, except for Eli, knew that there was something that could make Elliot Stabler come back to life… well, more like someone.

Elliot broke out of his trance when he heard the front door open and then close. He directed his attention to the hallway and his hands automatically flew to his waist to grab his invisible gun. A part of him died once again. Even after 9 months, it's still hard to get rid of old habits. He then saw Kathleen walk into the living room. He let his guard down once she walked over to Eli and picked him up. She sat on the sofa, playing with Eli and the toy bear he had.

"Did you give it to her?"

"No, I gave it to one of the officers downstairs. I think mom followed me to the station, so I ran in quickly, gave it to the officer and told him to give it to Liv. Then I left and went back to school." Kathleen responded.

"So where's your mom now?"

"Don't know. I didn't see her when I left. She doesn't know that I'm here."

"Hmm… guess I'll have to deal with it later."

"Or how about right now, Elliot?" Kathy Stabler said as she walked in through the front door.

"Kathy, there's no need to—"

"Kathleen, take your brother to his room." Kathy interrupted. She stood in front of the sofa where Elliot sat.

"Mom, don't get mad at dad. He didn't do anything." Kathleen said in defensive. She rose up from the sofa and walked upstairs to Eli's room with the toddler.

"Want to explain to why Kathleen just happened to go by the police station today?" Kathy asked angrily.

"I don't know, Kathy. You tell me." Elliot grabbed the remote controller off the coffee table and started to flip through channels.

"No. Why don't you tell me?" Kathy crossed her arms and stared at her husband.

Elliot glanced up at Kathy. He turned the TV off and sighed deeply. "I asked Kathleen to drop something off at the precinct. That's all."

"What did she drop off?"

"Just a small gift and note for Liv."

"And you couldn't take it yourself?"

Elliot shot his eyes at her, filled with anger. "No. I told you I can't face her right now."

"Yes, yes you have. Along with 'you don't understand' after each answer you give me."

Elliot quickly stood up from the couch, now face to face with his wife. "You're damn right."

"So what exactly did you give her? What did the note say? Was it more important than just talking to her face to face?"

"The note," Elliot began, quickly ignoring the first question. "Was just a quick hello to her. I told her that I would talk to her soon."

"What was the gift, Elliot?"

Elliot sat down on the sofa and grabbed the remote, turning the TV. "Don't worry about it."

Kathy stared at him and walked away. She went upstairs to her son's room to finally say hello. She walked in to see Eli playing on the floor. She walked over and picked up him, giving him small kisses on his forehead. She sat Eli back on the floor and went to her bedroom. She walked over to the dresser and glanced into the mirror. She noticed that the jewelry box was opened with a few chains and rings sitting on the dresser. Kathleen walked passed the room with her youngest sister, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Stabler, and brother, Richard "Dickie" Stabler. Kathy walked to the door and stopped the children.

"Girls, did you borrow something out of my jewelry box by any chance?"

"Nope." They said in unison. Kathy nodded and walked back into the bedroom. Kathleen and the twins continued their walk to Kathleen's old bedroom. Kathy began organizing her jewelry box. She placed the rings into a small drawer and started to place the chains on the opposite side of the box. Once each chain was hung up on the small hooks, she noticed that something was missing. She spun the small wheel around and noticed that one hook was empty. She looked in the small drawers of the jewelry box for the missing chain, but had no luck. She searched the dresser, floor, and other places in the bedroom for the missing chain, but still no luck. She asked the kids if they took anything from the box, they said no.

Elliot. Anger started to instantly build up inside. Kathy furiously stormed out of the bedroom and went back to the living room.

"You gave her your medal?" she shouted with anger.

"Yeah, so?" Elliot responded, not looking up from the TV.

Kathy walked over to the TV and turned it off. She turned to face Elliot and gave him the look of death. "How could you give her your Semper Fidelis medal, El?"

"She needs it more than I do."

"Oh really? You haven't talked to her in 9 months! How the hell could you possibly know that she 'needs' your damn medal?"

"I JUST KNOW KATHY!" Elliot shouted as he rose up and faced her. He stared at her. He could see that she was very angry with him. He didn't care though. "I just know. I left her in a bad place. You just wouldn't—"

"Understand?" Kathy interrupted. "Yeah, you're right, El. You have been saying that a lot lately. I don't understand. Why don't you explain it to me then?"

"I-I can't. It's too…"

"Too what? Complicated? Heart breaking?" Kathy yelled. She looked into Elliot's eyes, wondering what he would do or say next. "Why don't you spare me the bullshit excuses and tell me, huh? Why do you care so much about her even though you haven't spoken to her since the shooting?"

"I care because she's my fucking partner, Kathy! My best friend and my partner!" Elliot shouted.

"Don't you mean former partner? And if I were she, I wouldn't be your best friend anymore. Anyone that decides to not talk to me for 9 months isn't a friend I'd keep around."

"Fuck you, Kathy." Elliot stormed off to the hallway, grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

Kathy ran to the door and saw Elliot walk to his car. "Where are you going?" Elliot got into the car, turned the engine on, and pulled out the driveway. He didn't take a second look at the door and sped off quickly.

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><p><strong>Special Victims Unit<br>****Squad Room**

Olivia sat at her desk, typing away on the keyboard. After her hour breakdown in the locker room, Nick came up to tell her that they had a new lead on the current case they're working on. He saw that she was crying and asked if she was okay. Being Olivia, she responded with her famous phrase, "I'm fine." She got up quickly with the brown box and made her way back to the bullpen.

Olivia continued to type on the keyboard, clicking her mouse fiercely. She stared at the computer screen, searching for what she needed. Her eyes grew big as she clicked on the link she's been searching for. She read through the Wikipedia webpage and she could feel her eyes fill up with tears. She quietly read off the screen, "Semper Fidelis is Latin for 'Always Faithful'. She sat back in her chair and took her newest necklace into her hand. She thought of Elliot and smiled.

"Always faithful…" she whispered. The quick moment of happiness turned into confusion seconds later. Why did Elliot give her this necklace? Was there something she was missing?

She grabbed the note from the small box that sat inside her desk. She reread the note, looking for something. There was something Elliot wanted her to know, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

Captain Cragen walked out of his office and stood in the middle of the room. "It's late. We're at a dead end and we don't have any new leads. Go home and rest up so we can look at this case with fresh eyes."

"Sounds good to me, Cap!" Fin said as he tossed his pen on his desk.

"Anyone want to head out for some drinks?" Nick asked as he put his coat on.

"I'm in. I could use a few beers." Amanda responded with a quick smile.

"Sorry guys, but count me out. Have a good night, everyone." Cragen said. He made his way back into his office and closed the door.

Fin, Nick, and Amanda started to make their move to the elevator, talking about the last lead they had on the case. Munch started to walk away, but stopped and walked over to Olivia's desk. He sat down on the side of her desk. "Care to join us, Liv?"

"Oh, no thanks. I think I'm just going to head straight home." She answered without looking up from her note.

Munch snatched the paper from her hands and folded it. "Come on, Liv. You need to have some fun. It's hurting me to see you like this."

"Thanks for your concern, John." Olivia snatched the note from his hands and sat back down. "I'm just going to call it a night."

"Olivia, I order you to come out and have a couple of beers with your dear friends."

Olivia stared at the old man before her, but couldn't help but laugh because he tried to look very serious. "Okay, fine. I'll go. I won't stay that long though." She stood up with her jacket and followed Munch to the elevators.

"So who is that note from anyway?"

"Just a friend, detective." Olivia laughed. She stuffed the note into her jacket and smiled.

"There's that nice smile. You should do it more often. We miss it." The elevator doors opened and he let Olivia go first.

The group of detectives went to a local bar that was ten blocks away from the precinct. It became their new usual spot when the new detectives joined the squad. Nick recommended the place and Amanda has gone there a few times when she moved to New York. The food was great and the beer was cheap. They've become regulars here ever since.

The detectives walked through the doors of the bar and grabbed a table. "Welcome to Jack's, detectives! Want me to start you off with your usual?"

"Yeah, Henry. Bring out some extra napkins, will ya?" Fin asked the young waiter.

"Sure thing." Henry gave him a nod and he was off.

"What happened to that one waitress we had the other night?" Munch asked as he grabbed the small container of cashew peanuts.

"She quit, remember?" Amanda said as she grabbed the container from Munch's hands.

"You talked her to death about your damn crazy conspiracies and Gary said she wasn't beat to come back." Fin added in.

"I doubt that was the reason." Munch said defensively.

"You're just a scary old bat." Nick said laughing.

Henry came back to the table with two pitchers of Miller lite beer and napkins. The detectives continued to joke and laugh at Munch and his theory about the waitress. Fin looked at Olivia as she twirled her fingers around the necklace he just realized was new.

"Doin' okay, baby girl?" he asked quietly.

Olivia gave him a weak smile. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Got a new necklace?"

"Yep."

"Who is it from? Some new guy you ain't telling us about?"

"No, nothing like that, Fin." She laughed. "It's a gift I got from a friend, that's all." She grabbed a glass and poured herself some beer.

"How you doin' though, Liv? You've been pretty distant from everyone."

"For what it's worth, it could be worse." She handed Fin a glass and passed the pitcher of beer to him. "I'm fine though, really."

"Just know that we're here for you, baby girl. No need to be all upset all the time."

"I know… thanks, Fin." She said with a smile.

"No problem." Fin patted Olivia's back and they drank their beer.

An hour has passed by and the detectives decided to stay longer to eat after slowly finishing four pitchers of beer. It was pretty late and the bar filled up with college students for the weekly Thursday night karaoke.

"So who is paying tonight? Rollins, I think you're up." Nick said as he tossed his napkin on the table.

"Are you sure?"

"I paid last week, my dear blonde." Munch said. He picked up his glass and took another sip of his beer.

Olivia stood up and tossed ten dollars onto the table. "I'm going to head home."

"Need a ride, baby girl?" Fin asked.

"No, that's okay. I'm just going to catch a cab. See you all tomorrow." Olivia waved good-bye and left the bar. She walked a block and searched for a taxi, but had no luck. She lived about 34 blocks away from Jack's so there was no use of walking home. She decided to walk back to the station and get some paper work done. There was no way she could sleep tonight anyway.

She walked through the doors of the 1-6 and went to the elevator. Seconds later she walked into the squad room and sat at her desk. Some of the lights were off and most of the squad was gone, with a few uniformed officers lingering around. She looked over towards Cragen's office and saw that the lights were out. He must have gone home for the night.

Olivia sighed and slouched back in her chair. She took her jacket off and placed it on the back of the chair. She glanced down at her phone to check the time. 1:32 am. Her attention then moved to the picture frame that sat next to her computer screen. She picked it up and traced the frame with her finger. It was a picture of her and Elliot from the squad Christmas party last year. There were only a few moments out of their 12-year partnership that the two ever came into close physical contact with each other. Some of them were life or death moments; while others were because of the job they were doing at that moment. This picture showed one of those few moments where being in close range of each other felt perfectly normal in their partnership, only because they were best friends as well. Elliot had his arms wrapped around her waist and she had one arm his neck. Her other arm was occupied by a glass of champagne in her hand. They were both laughing and looking at each other. If Olivia remembered correctly, Munch just got done explaining one of his theories about Santa Claus and his reindeers. He was a little tipsy from the eggnog, so anything he said was ridiculous. Olivia studied the picture as she gripped her Semper Fidelis necklace. They looked very happy together in the picture. They way that he looked at her… it was something that she always cherished. However, it did confuse her many times. It would be the only time that she wasn't able to make out what he was thinking. That's probably because Kathy would always appear with an attitude about something so it always ruined the mood. She sat the picture back on the desk and tears started to flow down her cheeks.

_It's so hard to tell what's in your heart,_

_What you keep to yourself is tearing me apart,_

_And should I be afraid to dream about you?_

_And if you feel the same, what you going to do?_

She laid her head down on the desk and began sobbing hysterically. "Why do I keep doing this to myself? Why do I continue to break down over him?"

_How far can we go before we break?_

_How long can I wait?_

She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She took it out and pressed the side button. She didn't bother to look at the caller ID to see who it was. If it was Cragen or one of the other detectives, she figured that they would come in and find her at her desk. She took off her Semper Fidelis necklace and placed it on the desk. She looked at the necklace then at the picture and broke down again.

_How strong do you think I am?_

_How much can I take of this?_

_Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?_

_Or the breath at the end of a kiss?_

_How deep do you want to go, because I'll go there if I can,_

_You make it harder than it has to be,_

_How strong, how strong do you think I am?_

After a ten-minute break down, Olivia finally got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Once she left the room, someone else walked in and went straight for Olivia's desk and sat in her chair, patiently waiting.

Minutes later, Olivia returned to the squad room feeling a little better. She stopped instantly and noticed that someone was occupying her desk. She took a few more steps to see who it was, but they had their back facing her. She noticed something shining from the front of the person. She quickly looked at the picture and saw that her necklace was missing. She drew out her gun and pointed it to the suspect.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" she spoke loudly.

"Looks like I'm not the only one staying up late tonight." The person said with a raspy voice. The person got up from the chair and turned around to face the detective.

Olivia's eyes grew big and couldn't believe what she saw in front of her.

"Nice seeing you, Liv. No need to point your gun at me." The person laughed.

Olivia slowly put her gun back in the pouch and stood in shock.

"What's wrong? Didn't you miss me? Because I sure as hell missed you, Liv."

Olivia quickly ran over to the person and wrapped her arms around them. She squeezed the person with dear life and tears started to flow down her face again. The person returned the gesture by wrapping their arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly as well.

"Oh Liv, you have no idea how much I missed you." The person said as they began to kiss her forehand over and over again.

Olivia took in a deep breath, and sobbed quietly into the person's shoulder, never letting go. "El…"

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><p><strong>AN: Okay first of all, I just want to say YAY! Thank you to everyone that's read the first chapter, wrote reviews, and added the story to their favorites and alerts. You all are amazing. And I'm so happy to see that over 300 people has read it so far. It makes me happy inside to see that people are enjoying it so far. **

**Anyway back to business... Elliot is now in a tight embrace with Liv as she is crying... what exactly does Elliot have in mind? Why did he show up to the precinct this late?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns. I own the story you're reading. The song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson, which is from Instant Star. Search it up on YouTube if you're interested!**

**A/N: Let me just say how extremely ecstatic I am to see that so many people are reading this story! Thank you everyone for the love! Here is the next chapter... I decided to put off my homework and write this out for you all. Enjoy :)**

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

It seemed like hours passed by as Elliot and Olivia stood in the squad room in a tight embrace. Olivia still couldn't believe that he was there, holding her, comforting her.

"Shh… it's okay, Liv. No need to cry anymore." He whispered. He ran his hands through her hair. He noticed that it got longer and it was wavy. He loved it. He nuzzled his head into hers, smelling the sweet scent of lavender that filled his nose completely. He always thought that she smelt nice. One of the many qualities that he loved about her, that he deeply missed.

Olivia's sobs finally faded away and the tears stopped, but she continued to hold her partner close. After a few more minutes, she pulled away. She wiped away the dry tears that formed on her cheeks and focused her attention on Elliot. She stared into his blue eyes, one of the many things she missed.

He gave her that famous Stabler smile and cupped her face into his hands, staring back into her big, brown eyes. "Hi."

"You prick!" Olivia snapped as she shoved him away. Reality finally clicked in.

"What? What's wrong?"

"You! I can't believe you!" Olivia screamed.

"Liv, keep it down." Elliot said as he tried to comfort her. Even though the squad room was empty, there were uniforms downstairs and he didn't want them to come up. He tried his best to keep Olivia calm.

"Elliot, you can't be fucking serious!" Olivia walked away, but then turned around quickly and glared at him. She was filled with fury. "You go and leave without a word to any one, turn in your papers to Cragen without a fucking good bye to me! Do you know how hard it was to hear from him that you quit? Do you know what that did to me? To find out that my partner and best friend was never coming back? To not get one fucking phone call, text message, or voicemail from you in nine months?"

"Liv," Elliot began as he grabbed her hands. She glared into his eyes and could see the sorrow, the pain that filled his blue eyes. "I know how I handled the situation wasn't the best way to do it. I just… I just didn't know what to do. I shot and killed a girl. It still kills me inside, knowing what happened."

"You did the right thing, El. You stopped someone from hurting anyone else. It was your job to."

"That's the thing, Liv. Part of me didn't do it because it was my job to. I did it because I was afraid… of what could have…" Elliot stopped and studied Olivia's face, which was now filled with confusion. "Let's finish this somewhere else."

"Wanna go to the cribs?"

"No… is it okay if we go to your place?" Olivia gave a small nod and grabbed her jacket, keys, and purse from her desk. Elliot followed behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Benson Residence<br>****203 W. 89th Street Apt 4D  
><strong>**Friday, November 5**

The drive to Olivia's apartment was a quiet one. It wasn't awkward… more like comforting. It was something that they haven't had in a while and it felt nice. Elliot turned to Olivia, who was staring out the window. He glanced down at her hands and took her left into his right. She shot her head down to their hands, linked up together. She looked over at Elliot, who was now watching the road again. She smiled softly and continued to look through the window. Elliot smiled too.

Fifteen minutes later, Elliot pulled up in front of Olivia's apartment building and turned off the engine. Olivia picked up her purse and got out the car, with Elliot following behind her. She opened the front door and the two walked in, still not saying a word. They entered the elevator and went up to Olivia's floor. The doors opened and they walked down the hall to her apartment. Olivia took out her keys and unlocked the door. She walked in and flipped the light switch on. She walked into the kitchen and threw her stuff on the counter. Elliot trailed in slowly, taking note of the apartment. It seems like she hasn't cleaned in weeks. Papers and manila folders were spread out all over the sofa and coffee table. Cups lay around the kitchen table, along with a few empty beer and wine bottles.

"Want a beer?" Olivia asked.

"Sure."

"Take a seat. Make yourself at home."

"I hope you haven't been drinking a lot." He said as he cleared the sofa from the paperwork.

"Oh no, I haven't." Olivia said as she walked over, handing Elliot his beer. She took a seat next to him on the sofa and kicked her shoes off. "Those are bottles that just started to pile up over the past few months. Never got around to cleaning."

"I see…" Elliot took a sip of his beer and looked around the apartment some more.

"Okay so, let's finish this conversation." Olivia said. She chugged half of her beer and sat the bottle on the table. "Now, tell me why you decided to show up tonight of all nights?"

Elliot gulped his beer down and sat it next to Olivia's. He positioned himself in front of the coffee table, avoiding eye contact with Olivia. "After the shooting, I couldn't face coming back."

"Yeah, I get that, El. Care to explain some more?"

Elliot sighed deeply and continued. "When I saw Jenna come in with that gun, my heart instantly stopped when she began shooting. I was scared of who and what she was shooting at. When I saw Sister Peg fall, I got more scared. I saw you rush over to her. Then I saw Jenna… I—I was afraid that she would—would shoot you. I didn't know what else to do but shoot her. Olivia, when I saw her looking in your direction, I panicked." He turned his body to face Olivia. He picked up his head and their eyes met. "I—I couldn't bare to think about what would happen if she shot you. I would have lost my mind. So I shot her… and she died."

"Elliot…" Olivia said quietly. She reached her hand out to touch his arm. He instantly shot his hand up and took her hand into his. He began rubbing his thumb over the backside of her hand.

"Liv, I chose you over the job again. At the same time, I did my job and stopped a gunman from shooting anyone else."

"I—I understand, El. I know it was a hard decision for you to make…"

"I know you do… you always do." He chuckled. "When I made the decision to leave, it was the hardest fucking thing I did. Not being able to see you everyday, not being able to talk to you or hear you laugh, it killed me and it definitely wasn't easy. I just couldn't be here though, Liv. The fact that the girl died haunted me in my sleep and it still does to this day sometimes. I thought if I left it would be easier to deal with. Although the shooting is now behind me and I've healed from that, being away from you has been very hard. Not coming back to this job to see you has been very hard."

Olivia could feel her eyes fill up with tears again as she listened to her partner. Even though she had an idea of where this conversation was going, she still sat back and listened.

"I know that nine months is long and I know that I hurt you deeply, Olivia. I know that this had to make you crazy. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you. You have to believe me when I say that… I did not want to hurt you in any way."

"I know, El." She said quietly, holding back the tears.

"I care about you too much to intentionally hurt you."

"I know."

"So do you forgive me?" Elliot asked. He moved closer to Olivia, studying her eyes.

"I already forgave you, Elliot. A long time ago…" she said, tears falling one by one.

"Thank you, Liv." He kissed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. Olivia started crying again. Her cheeks felt moister than occasionally. She turned her head to see Elliot crying as well. She reached over to wipe his tears away, giving him a warm smile. He returned the smile with a kiss on her forehead. A few more tears continued to fall from their eyes, but the wetness didn't bother them at all. Their foreheads touched and started to relax.

"I wish I wasn't crying so damn much." Olivia laughed.

"Same here. I don't remember ever being this sensitive about shit before."

Olivia turned her head so she was resting on Elliot's shoulder. She moved her legs around to rest them on top of his. "You know there's a lot more we need to talk about, Elliot."

"Yep, I know. But for now, I say we forget about it and just catch up." Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia, and then locked his hands with hers. He loved the feeling of having her close. It just felt… right, complete.

Olivia turned so she was now curled up in his lap, his arms around her, and hands interlocked with each other. "I'm very happy you came back." She mumbled.

"Me too… I would have done something crazy if I waited any longer to see you."

They cuddled for what seems like forever, but it was an hour later. They sat there in silence enjoying each other's company. Olivia was exhausted from her long day at work, and from crying multiple times, but she stayed awake as Elliot held her.

Elliot's phone began to buzz in his pocket. "I gotta get that." Olivia quickly moved to the sofa cushion as he took his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the screen and saw that Kathy was calling. He clicked the side button to ignore the call, and then turned his phone off. Once it was completely off, he shoved it back in his pocket and motioned Olivia to come back and sit.

"Who was that?"

"Just Kathy. I'm in no mood to talk to her right now." Elliot wrapped his arms around Olivia again. She looked at him with a questioning look, but didn't ask about it. He'll talk about it when he feels ready to. They took position in the comfortable spot they were once in before, but something instantly came to Elliot's mind. "Oh yeah…" he raised his legs up to reach into the opposite pocket, balancing Olivia on the other side. He pulled a gold chain from out his pocket and held it in front of Olivia.

"I think you forgot this at the station." He said with a smile.

"Oh yeah… thanks for getting it. Put it on for me?" Elliot smiled as Olivia moved her hair up, giving him access to put the necklace on. He quickly put it on, fixing the medallion so it lay on her chest. Olivia let go of her hair and he watched it fall down gracefully. He started to play with her hair, running his fingers through her wavy locks. His hands then moved to her shoulders, massaging them lightly.

Olivia let out a soft moan as she squirmed around to get comfy. Elliot kissed her hair, then moved to her neck and began to plant kisses all over. Olivia turned around so she was face to face with Elliot and just stared into his eyes. Next thing she knew, he started to move in closer to her. Seconds later, their lips were just centimeters apart. She could feel his breath on her and it drove her mad. Elliot felt the same way as he took in the lavender scent from her.

_If I move in any closer,_

They continued to stare at each other. They could feel each other breathing harder and harder as the tension between them grew bigger and bigger.

_If you let go and give yourself away,_

"Elli—" Olivia was interrupted instantly as Elliot crashed his lips onto hers. Her lips felt very soft and tasted so sweet. He was dying for more.

She must have read his mind because she cupped his face into her hands and deepened the kiss. She could feel his tongue fighting to gain access, so she granted it with her own. For the first time, she tasted him as they kissed passionately. She had to admit that this was better than any of the fantasies she had. The fact that he was really there kissing her was enough to take her overboard. His hands began to wander around her body, moving to places that they have never been before. She moaned softly, he returning the moan with a grunt of his own.

_And if we let this happen to us,_

He turned her around, laying her on the sofa with him on top. He continued to kiss her as she started to move her hands around his body. She could feel the bugle increasing through his pants and it made her want him even more. However, there was something that was stopping her from continuing on—his left ring finger.

"Elliot, wait…" she mumbled under his lips. He stopped and looked at her.

"What's wrong, Liv?"

"We can't do this," she said sitting up. "This isn't right. I can't—I can't…"

"Liv, honey, what's wrong?" he asked taking her hand.

"You're married, El. I can't be the other woman. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I ruined your marriage."

"Oh Olivia, you're not the other woman. There's no way I would treat you like that."

"But what about Kathy?" she asked looking into his eyes. Oh, those blue eyes.

"Liv, our marriage has been over for a while. We only stuck with it because of Eli. We've been arguing so much lately and the fights are just getting worse. I stayed home to take care of my children, some how making up for the time that I lost. You know she actually yelled at me earlier about giving you my Semper Fidelis medal? The bitch is crazy."

"But Elliot…"

"I'm actually surprised that you didn't notice."

Olivia raised an eyebrow as she looked at him with a questioning look. "Didn't notice what?"

Elliot raised his left hand and she gasped. The one finger that was once occupied is now naked. "Your ring… it's gone…" she said quietly.

"Yeah… I took it off about seven months ago. She tried to convince me to go to marriage counseling to work out our 'differences', but I told her no matter what she said that ring wasn't going back on my finger. Now and then we had are moments where things was fine and all in place. Other times, we were fighting. I'm sick and tired of fighting. I just want to be happy. I finally realized within the past nine months that the only thing that made me happy was being around you."

Olivia stared at him in awe. She didn't know what to say. Everything was happening so fast that her brain was still having trouble processing the events that occurred.

"I love you so much, Olivia Benson. I always have. Ever since the first day I met you. I knew there was something special about you. I knew that one day something great would come out of our partnership. And it did. I just hope that you feel the—" Elliot was interrupted by a long, sweet kiss that Olivia planted on his lips.

Seconds later, she pulled away and smiled. "I love you too, Elliot Stabler. More than you can imagine, for as long as I can remember. I wish I had told you earlier. Maybe things would have happened earlier."

"All that matters now is the present and what we mean to each other now."

Olivia smiled and gave Elliot another passionate kiss. Five minutes later, she pulled away, breathless. "Just to make sure, I didn't ruin your marriage, right?"

"No." Elliot laughed. "Oh God no, Liv. Trust me, you just helped me realize what my marriage was—a complete waste of time. Kathy and I ran out of patience and energy to continue with it. It was only a matter of time till we finally ended it."

"Good. So Stabler, why don't you tell me how much you love me?" she said seductively.

"Tell you?" he said with that famous Stabler smirk. "I think showing you how much I love you will be a little more effective than telling you."

He picked up Olivia and cradled her in his arms. He ran to her bedroom, closing the door behind him with his leg. She giggled as he growled in her ear. He has never heard her giggle before and it was the most beautiful thing ever. She gently laid her on the bed and began kissing her. She deepened the kiss, using her tongue to gain access into his mouth. He gladly accepted as they tongue wrestled each other. They started to take their clothes off, lips never leaving each other, except for when they took their shirts off.

_Everything will change._

Once the task was done, they cuddled together, naked body parts touching each other. They stayed like that for about a half hour, kissing and holding each other close together. Moments later, he got on top of her and kissed her once more before taking their relationship to the next level. Elliot and Olivia spent the rest of the night making love multiple times, finally feeling the happiest they have been in such a long time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So what will happen now with Elliot and Olivia? What else could happen to enhance or ruin this loving moment? Why did Kathy call Elliot? How does Elliot's children feel about their parents' marital status? Will Munch come up with a new conspiracy? Stay tuned.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Characters, property of Dick Wolf. The song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson, which is from Instant Star. Search it up on YouTube if you're interested!**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone! This week has been crazy with all the school work I had. No worries though... here is the next chapter! Sorry if it's too short. Couldn't exactly figure out what to write... don't worry, I'll have this weekend to come up with something good for the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Buzz,<em>_buzz,__buzz_… the alarm clock that sat on the nightstand next to the bed began its daily wake-up call.

Olivia grunted as she swung her arm over to the nightstand. Her hand struggled for the clock, but found the snooze button seconds later. She pushed the button and swung her arm to face the floor. She slowly opened one eye and glanced at the clock. 6:15 am. It was time to wake up for work.

She turned around so she was now lying on her back. The sunlight is beaming through the blinds on her window, giving her body warmth. Olivia turned to lie on her side to cuddle with the muscular man she spent the night with. She patted the bed to look for him, but felt nothing. Her eyes shot open to see the once occupied space empty. She sat up and looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell…" she got out of bed and grabbed her clothes from the floor. She tossed them into the clothes hamper and threw on a robe. She opened the bedroom door and the smell of bacon and coffee flooded her nostrils. She took in the scent and smiled. She walked down the hall and into the kitchen. The small table was set for two with pancakes and eggs on both plates. There were two cups of coffee sitting on the island counter. She walked over, grabbed a cup of coffee, and walked over to the muscular man that stood in front of the stove. She wrapped her free arm around his bare chest and kissed the back of his neck.

"Good morning."

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, for the first time in months. I'm still a little exhausted though." Olivia said with a smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe I should take care of that, huh?" Elliot spun around to place a kiss on her lips.

"I wouldn't worry too much. I don't mind it." She gave him a seductive wink and took a seat at the table. "Now if I wake up the next morning not being able to walk, then there will be some problems."

"I think we can arrange that." He turned the stove off and placed the bacon strips on a plate. He walked over to the table and sat the plate down.

Olivia a sip of her coffee and a grin instantly appeared. "This is so good. I missed your coffee. You always knew how to make good coffee." She sat her cup on the table and picked up her fork, taking some eggs.

"It's nice to see you eat. Your fridge was completely empty so I went out and got you some groceries." Elliot sat in his chair and stared at Olivia. "You probably haven't eaten much, right?"

Olivia sat her fork down and stared back at him. "I haven't been doing much at all lately…" She studied his face and there was one question that she was dying to ask.

"What is it, Liv? Penny for your thoughts?"

"I… it's just…" she hesitated. She sighed deeply and started again. "What exactly happened with you and Kathy?"

"Like I said before, we were fighting a lot more and things just got complicated after I left the unit."

"You said you're still living at home though? I thought you guys were over? Are you still married?"

"Yes, I'm still living at home. I stayed for Eli. With Maureen and Kathleen doing their own thing and the twins getting ready to finish high school, I figured I would stay and try not to miss out on everything with Eli. I still spend time with the twins and I see the girls now and then. I've been staying in Maureen's old room."

"What about the marriage?"

Elliot drank some of his coffee, and then continued to answer the question. "I told you I took of my wedding ring seven months ago. Kathy and I decided to separate again and that's when she wanted to try and work things out by seeing a therapist. Yes, we were still fighting, and yes, there were times that everything seemed okay. Honestly, we're better off being friends. It's the healthiest decision to make and it's better for us. Two weeks after we legally became separated, she gave me the divorce papers and I signed them."

"So… is it completely over?"

"As far as I know, yes. We're still waiting for the divorce to be finalized, which should be any day now. We still have to figure out a custody agreement for Eli since the other kids are old enough to do whatever. But as for Kathy and I, we are completely 100% done. You're the only person I want to be with now, Olivia."

Elliot stretched over the table to grab Olivia's hands, giving her a small smile. "Well that's good to know then. That clears up one problem."

Elliot's eyebrow rose as he gave her a confusing look. "There's another problem?"

"Well, yeah, El." She said as she grabbed her fork and ate some more eggs. "What are you going to do about the living situation? You obviously can't stay there anymore. I know you want to be there for Eli, but you can't possibly think that living there with your soon-to-be ex-wife is healthy?"

Elliot couldn't help but laugh. "It's okay, Liv. I started looking for an apartment last month. Can't exactly find one that I can afford right now, but I'll get one soon."

"So… why don't you live here until you find a place?" Olivia suggested.

"You sure, Liv?" Elliot studied his partner. He could tell that she was very nervous about something.

"Yes, I'm positive. I wouldn't mind. I mean it would be nice to just reacquainted with each other again. After all, it's been nine months since we last saw each other. You know, go back to how things used to be. "

"You do realize that will be an issue right?"

"What do you mean?"

Elliot got up and walked around the table, wrapping his arms around Olivia. She placed her hands on his muscular arms, moving them up and down. "How do you expect me to go back to what we used to be after what we did last night? That's kind of hard to do, Liv."

"Elliot!" she laughed as he began to nibble on her ear. She stood up and gave him a sweet kiss.

"You and me both know that we can't go back to being just friends."

"I know. Maybe I don't want that."

"That's good to know." He growled into her ear. She let out a soft moan and before he could make another move, she shook her head and sat back down.

"I want to finish eating my breakfast, Stabler. I can't mess around with you right now." Olivia exclaimed. She picked up the syrup bottle and drenched her pancakes until they became soggy.

"Aw, come on, Livvy. I want to play!" Elliot said with a pout on his face. Olivia burst out laughing at how ridiculous he looked.

"I promise we can play later, El. Seriously though, I need to finish eating and head to work."

"I'm taking your word for it, Benson."

Elliot sat down and ate the rest of his breakfast with Olivia. Once they finished eating, Elliot cleaned up the dishes and kitchen while Olivia took a shower. Twenty minutes later, Olivia walked out of her bedroom fully dressed and ready to go.

"You look gorgeous."

"Why thank you. You should probably think about cleaning up yourself." Olivia joked. Elliot took her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Elliot's hands traveled from her waist to her ass, gently cupping. He gave it a small squeeze. Olivia could feel his "friend" grow big as she started to play with his tongue. She bit his lip as a way to end the kiss and then backed up.

"Well, it's time for me to go to work. Mind dropping me off?" she asked as she walked over to the sofa. She picked up her purse, badge, gun, and keys from the coffee table. She turned back around to see a very frustrated Elliot Stabler standing in the same place she left him.

"Come on, El. I have to go."

"You're really going to leave me in this state of mind? What the fuck, Olivia?" he said as he walked up to her.

"I promise you that if you wait till later, I'll make it worth your while, Stabler." She purred into his ear. She stepped back giving him a huge grin. She opened up the door and walked out into the hallway, on her way to the elevator.

"Oh, you're definitely making it up to me, Benson." He said closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Elliot and Olivia pulled up to the precinct fifteen minutes later. People were walking in and out of the building. Elliot put the car into park and took Olivia's hand into his.<p>

"I'm going to go back home and start packing my stuff. I'll start moving in while you're here."

"Sounds good to me. You still have the extra key I gave you?"

"Of course I do. I'll see you later then." He reached over the seat to give Olivia a kiss. She cupped his face into her hands and brought his lips to hers quickly. A couple of seconds later, she pulled away slowly and gave him a small smile.

"I'll give you a call when I can." Olivia opened the door and got out. Her eyes met with Elliot's as she stood outside the car. He gave her a smile. She closed the door and turned to go into the police station.

Elliot saw in the driver's seat, watching her walk inside. He then looked up at the building, at the windows where the SVU squad room is located. "Not yet…"

He put the car into drive and drove off, making his way back to Queens.

In the squad room, things were a little busier this morning than normally. Officers were running around with paperwork. Olivia walked into the bullpen and went straight to her desk.

"Mornin', baby girl." Fin greeted as he walked in.

"Hi Fin."

"How you doin'? Feelin' a little better?" he asked.

"Yeah, a lot better actually." She said gripping her new necklace.

"Olivia, can I see you in my office?" Cragen shouted from his doorway.

"Yeah, sure." Olivia got up from her desk and walked into the captain's office.

"What's up, Captain?" she asked.

"Casey needs to see you around eight to go over your testimony for court on the Vera case. She wants to make sure that we have our evidence set in stone."

"Yeah, no problem." She turned around to leave the office, but was stopped by Cragen.

"Are you okay, Liv?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"I know he was here last night."

Olivia looked at her captain. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She processed her thoughts as she sat down in a chair. "How—how did you know?"

"I was actually here. I stayed to get some paperwork done. I decided to take a quick nap, but I heard you two talking. I got up and peaked through the blinds to see who was there talking to you."

"Oh…" was all Olivia could say.

"Do you need some time off?"

"No, no that's fine. We're still… trying to figure out some things right now. But we're fine, I'm fine, Cap."

"How about this… after you meet with Casey head home and take the rest of the day off."

"Are you sure?" Olivia stood up from the chair.

"I have the other four take care of everything today. Don't worry about it."

"Well, thanks Cap." With that being said, Olivia walked out the office and grabbed her coat.

"Where you goin', Liv?" Fin asked. He was talking to Nick and Munch about a case.

"Heading to the DA's office. I'll see you guys later."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Liv meets with Casey, Elliot deals with Kathy, and someone gets to finally meet the famous Elliot Stabler... stay tuned!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned them...*sobs* The song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson, which is from Instant Star. Search it up on YouTube if you're interested!**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Here is chapter 5! **

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><p><strong>Manhattan District Attorney Building<br>****ADA Casey Novak's Office  
><strong>**Friday, November 5**

Olivia walked through the halls of the DA office, passing by many ADAs and Das. She passed by an office door that belonged to ADA Alexandra Cabot. She stopped quickly and stared at the door. She smiled as she thought about her dear friend. Alex left for a business conference yesterday so the current case she was working on with Olivia had to go to Casey for the time being.

Olivia continued her walk down the hall passing by a few more offices. The entire building was busier that usual today. She finally approached Casey's office. She knocked on the door three times and waited for an answer.

"Come in," she heard a voice say from inside. Casey looked up from the files on her desk to see Olivia walk in. She gave her a quick smile. "Hey, Liv. Take a seat."

"So what's up, Casey? What else do you need for the case?" Olivia asked as she took off her coat, placing it in the chair next to her.

"I know Alex doubled, tripled check everything you and Fin gave her about Shauna Vera's rape, but I wanted to check it again for myself." Casey searched through the files on her desk to look for the case file regarding Shauna Vera, a fifteen-year-old girl from Alphabet City. She was raped and killed in a local off-Broadway theater outside the theater district. She looked at Olivia, who seemed to be very happy. She stopped and studied Olivia's face. She was smiling big as she played with her necklace.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Casey asked grinning.

Olivia broke out of her small trance and realized what she was doing. "What—what do you mean? I don't have—it's nothing, Case." she said dumbfounded.

"Olivia, don't play with me. Who gave you that?" she asked getting up from her desk. She took the necklace into her own hands and looked at it, smiling. "It's beautiful, by the way."

"It was a gift… from a friend."

"Hmm, a friend you say? I don't know Liv… this guy must be more than a friend."

"I guess you can say that…" she responded quietly.

Casey studied the small medal on the chain. _Semper__Fidelis__… __always__faithful_, she thought. "So is this friend a marine? One of my ex-boyfriends was a marine. I recognize this medal."

"He is—well, _was_ a marine." Olivia could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She knew Casey was figuring it out. She was going to know who this guy was.

"Well, that's pretty lucky. I love the marine guys."

Casey walked over to her mini-refrigerator to grab a water bottle. She turned around to see Olivia looking through the Vera case folder and noticed something shiny sitting on Olivia's hip. It looked familiar to the small medal around Olivia's neck. She looked closely to see what the badge said, and sat four numbers under the badge. 6313.

"Where have I seen those numbers?" she asked quietly. That's when it hit her. Hard.

"OLIVIA BENSON!" she squealed as she ran back to her.

"What? What is it?" Olivia asked frantically.

"Elliot gave you that!" she said. Olivia's face instantly turned red and was not able to form any words.

"When did he give that to you? How did he give it to you? What did you say? What did you do? Was it romantic?" Casey asked excitedly. Her happiness quickly turned to anger as she finally realized whom the mystery man was. "Elliot gave you this? After leaving you without a good-bye? Without a damn phone call? That son of a bitch… wait till I get my hands on him."

Olivia stood up quickly and placed her hands on Casey's shoulder. "Casey, calm down and sit. I'll explain… I'll explain everything."

Casey sat in the chair next to Olivia quietly. "So…"

"I got the necklace yesterday. One of the uniformed officers said a girl dropped it off for me. He gave it to me as I was heading to the locker room to clean out Elliot's locker. When I was in the locker room I opened it and saw the necklace. I cried. He wrote me a note apologizing for leaving and everything. He said he'd contact me, but didn't say when exactly. So that night after I went out with everyone, I went back to the station and cried… again. At some point I noticed the badge at the bottom of the box. I cried even more. When I left to go to the bathroom and came back, he was there sitting at my desk."

"Oh my…" Casey gasped.

"Well I didn't know it was him at first, but once I heard him speak I knew. We hugged. We cried. We started talking, but we decided to go back to my apartment to talk. So we got there, he told me why he didn't keep in touch, he apologized over and over again, he told me him and Kathy were over, and basically professed his love for me."

"Olivia! That is the craziest thing I've heard! But so romantic! What else happened?" Casey asked eagerly.

"Well… we ended up sleeping together." Olivia said quietly.

"Oh my God, Olivia Benson!" Casey screamed as she took her friend into a tight embrace. She pulled back and smiled. "So, what was it like? Was he great?"

"Casey!" Olivia exclaimed.

"What? You can't blame a girl, Liv. Stabler is one sexy ass man."

"I can't believe you just said that."

"You obviously had to think about it though. I know you have!"

"That is besides the point, Casey!"

"Enough talk about that. What else happened?" Casey asked redirecting the conversation.

"After that, he stayed. When we got up I asked him about Kathy again and he went into more detail about it. They separated about seven months ago, but he stayed at home for the kids. He signed the divorce papers so he's been waiting for it to be finalized. I asked him what he was going to do about his living situation, he said he was looking for an apartment, then I told him to move in with me."

"No you didn't! Moving fast already, Benson." Casey said, giving her a wink.

"Want to calm down?" Olivia laughed. "Anyway, I told him he could stay with me until he found an apartment."

"And are you two okay now? I mean… he hasn't talked, messaged, or called you within the past nine months, and then out of nowhere he sends you a box with his marines' medal and badge and shows up out of nowhere. Then you two go back to your place, tells you he's not with his wife anymore, have sex, and wake up like nothing really happened. That's kind of strange, don't you think?"

"Yes, it is weird… we still have a lot to talk about though. So nothing is set in stone yet."

"Well Liv, I hope everything works out for you. You deserve to be happy." Casey said giving Olivia a tight hug.

"Thanks, Case. I appreciate that."

"I can't wait to tell Alex! She's going to flip!"

"I think it'll be best if I told her. No need for her to come back early just for this."

"I don't know, Liv." Casey responded as she got up from the chair. She walked around the desk and sat in her chair. "This could be the happy ending you've been looking for."

"How so?"

"Well Elliot isn't working in SVU anymore, which means you two aren't partners anymore."

"Yeah, don't remind me, Casey."

"I'm sorry, but it's true. He's single now too, so the two of you have the chance to give it a shot. I know he loves you just as much as you love him. So why not?"

"Why not? Maybe because it might not work out. So why go through the heart break?"

"You won't know till you try, Liv. Give it a chance. Get your man!"

Olivia shook her head and laughed. "Okay seriously, let's go over this so I can get home."

"Home to your lover boy." Casey said in a low tone. The two laughed and finally began talking about the case.

* * *

><p><strong>Special Victims Unit<br>****Squad Room**

Captain Cragen and Amanda Rollins stood outside the interrogation room looking through the windows, watching Fin interrogating another suspect for the Vera case. Things were getting intense between Fin and the suspect.

"Tell me again, Mark… where were you the night Shauna Vera was raped and murdered?" Fin asked slamming his fists on the table.

"I was at the Sherman Theater."

"Doin' what exactly?" Fin walked around the table so he was now next to the man.

"I told you already, I was fixing the stage lights. I was there all night."

"Yeah? You just happened to be the only person there with Shauna. We've got your prints fool. This dumb ass game your playin' is over."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We've got your damn DNA! Don't play games with me!" Fin yelled as he picked Mark up by the collar. "So tell me again what exactly you were doin' that night with a fifteen-year-old girl?"

"Alright, alright… I'll tell you." Fin threw him back into the chair and moved back to the other side of the table. "I had sex Shauna, but I didn't rape or kill her! She wanted it!"

"Still counts as statutory rape, dumbass. So who the hell raped and killed her then?"

"I don't know." Mark responded. "There was some guy lurking around the theater before I got there. I assumed it was a custodian because he was dressed up in a custodian uniform. I didn't think anything of it. He just happened to reappear outside the back storage room Shauna and I had sex in, claiming he was cleaning the stage. After we finished, I went back to the catwalk to finish the lights and Shauna said she was going to one of the dressing rooms upstairs. That was the last I heard from her."

Cragen walked over to the door and knocked on it. Fin gave Mark a disgusting look and walked out the interrogation room. He joined Cragen and Amanda at the window.

"So now what? We collar this guy for statutory rape?" Amanda asked.

"We'll see what Casey says. Fin, call her with the update." Cragen ordered. Fin nodded and made his way to the bullpen.

"Hey Cap, where's Benson?" Nick asked as he approached the two.

"She took the rest of the day off." Nick gave a small nod and walked out. Amanda looked at Cragen with the same confused look he had on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Stabler<strong>**Residence  
><strong>**72-12 Castleside Street, Glen Oaks Queens, NY**

Elliot opened a new box and threw it on the bed. He began packing it with the remainder of his clothes. He had just about everything he needed to take back to Olivia's place. He stopped for a quick second, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his arm. He continued to pack his clothes when Kathy walked in and threw a manila packet on the box. He glanced down at it and picked it up. He opened the folder and pulled out a sheet of paper. And there it was—the finalized paper that indicated he and Kathy were officially divorced. He looked at the date and noticed that it was dated from a few days ago.

"Why am I just getting this now?" he asked.

"I got it yesterday, after you left. That's why I called you last night."

"I see," he said placing the paper back in the folder. "Why did it come so late?"

"Not sure. William actually came here to drop it off."

"Okay then."

"So… I guess this is it." Kathy said quietly.

"Yeah, it is." Elliot sighed. He looked at his wife, ex-wife, and he could see that she was trying to fight back the tears. "It's better for the both of us, Kathy."

"Yeah… I know. Doesn't mean I wouldn't feel upset about it."

Elliot gave a small sheepish smile and then continued to pack his clothes. "What do you want to do about Eli?"

"Obviously joint custody. We'll work out everything later on…" Kathy walked up to Elliot and touched his shoulder. She sighed deeply and slowly moved her hand away. "I'm going to go take Eli to daycare now. You can keep your key to the house, you know… just in case."

"Yeah…" Elliot mumbled. With that, Kathy walked out the bedroom and headed to Eli's room. A few minutes later, Elliot heard the door close shut and the car pulling out of the driveway.

Once Elliot was done packing everything, he packed his car and made his way back to Manhattan. He pulled up in front of Olivia's apartment building. He unloaded his car and brought everything to the apartment. Once the boxes were placed in a corner, he went back downstairs to move his car to the parking garage.

When he walked back into the building, he noticed that someone was following him. He went up to the fourth floor and walked to Olivia's apartment. He slowly unlocked the door again with his spare key and walked in, closing the door behind him. He walked into Olivia's room and got the spare handgun that sat in her nightstand drawer. He rushed back to the door and peaked through the small hole in the door. He saw a shadow of the mystery person around the corner. He opened the door and jumped into the hallway.

"Freeze right where you are! Drop your weapon!" he shouted.

"Hey man, I'm not here to cause any harm." The mystery man exclaimed as he appeared from the corner. "I'm just looking for Olivia Benson."

"And who the hell are you?"

"Detective Nick Amaro. I'm her partner. Who the hell are you?"

Elliot lowered his gun and chuckled. "Her ex-partner, Elliot Stabler."

* * *

><p><strong>AH! So Elliot and Nick finally meet... how is Elliot going to handle this? Why is Nick at Olivia's apartment in the first place?<strong>


	6. Message from the Author

**Hiya everyone! Just a quick message from the author:**

**First, thanks to everyone that read and reviewed this story! So many people added it to their alerts and favorite stories... it's amazing. I'm completely happy that people are liking it. Once again, thank you! And keep reading!**

**Second, I completely understand what the relationship between Elliot and Olivia is-yes, they're just friends and no more than that. Yes, Elliot loves his wife dearly. Yes, I know that there's a chance of Olivia finally getting a love interest this season. YES, I know Chris and Mariska joked about their characters' relationship and what they thought about it. Trust me, I know the show. But hello, this is story fiction! Hence the name of the website... I don't need people writing reviews discriminating my story just because it's not realistic to the show regarding the EO relationship. A great amount of EO stories on this site isn't completely realistic. If I choose to put Elliot and Olivia together in my story, so be it. I should be allowed to, especially when other authors do it in their stories. All I'm saying is if you don't like the story because of how I use the pairing, then just simply stop reading it and keep your negativity to yourself. Other people are enjoying it, so don't ruin it for them.**

**Anyway, that is all. Chapter 6 is coming up soon, hopefully either tonight or tomorrow!**

_**(Sorry for the rant guys... I got some really ugly comments so I just wanted to address it... and sorry for anyone that wrote comments anonymously... the people that left the comments ruined it so I disabled it)**_


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf is the man of power. I'm just a hopeless soul, wishfully wanting what he has. "How Strong Do You Think I Am?" is by Alexz Johnson. Search it on YouTube. Kaybye!**

**A/N: Without further ado, I give you chapter 6. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Nick took in a deep breath as he lowered his gun, keeping his focus on Elliot. "So you're the famous Elliot Stabler." He chuckled. "I heard about you."<p>

"Yeah… I wish I could say the same. Liv didn't mention anything about a new partner." Elliot replied as he walked into the apartment. Nick followed him in, closing the door behind him.

"Speaking of Liv, where is she?" Nick asked taking a seat on the sofa.

"She should be at work. Why? What's wrong?" Elliot quickly asked. His body started to tense up.

"She left her file on a case we're working on at the station. I saw it on her desk this morning when I got in. She was suppose to fill out the paperwork for today, so I wanted to get them to her before she freaked out."

"I see. Well, she didn't come back here so she has to be somewhere around the precinct." Elliot walked into the kitchen grabbed a cup, pouring coffee into it. "Anything else, Amaro?"

"You know," Nick began as he rose up from the sofa. "It's actually funny to see you in person."

"Oh yeah, how so?"

"I mean… I didn't think I would have the chance to meet the one and only Elliot Stabler, seeing how you just disappeared into thin air for nine months."

"What's it to you?" Elliot asked. He walked into the living room so he was now standing next to the sofa, only a few feet away from Nick.

"I don't know how Olivia put up with you. I heard some stories from Munch and Fin, how your anger would get to the best of you sometimes. The bullshit you would get away with. The way you would sometimes treat Olivia and the victims."

"Listen here rookie, you don't see me questioning you and your job performance so don't you dare talk about my job performance. You don't know me." Elliot could feel the blood boil inside.

"I know enough to say that you're nothing but a jackass for the way that you left the unit." Nick said forcefully. "You left Liv in a bad place. She tries to stay strong to show everyone that she is okay, but even I know that she feels like shit on the inside. You can see the pain in her eyes."

"Oh so just because your Liv's new partner, you know everything about her now?" Elliot asked. He moved closer to Nick so he was now face to face. "Spare me the extra shit, Amaro. I know what I did and I'm not proud with how I handled it. All that matters now is I'm back in her life and we're going to work through it."

"You better, Stabler. Otherwise I'll have to take care of you myself." He responded with a smirk.

Elliot gave him that famous Stabler smile while his eyes filled up with anger. "Are you threatening me, detective?"

"You bet I am."

The tension grew stronger between the two males. They stared each other down, not making a move.

"Nick? What are you doing here?" Olivia asked as she walked in. She eyed the two men standing in her living room, lost for words. She was confused.

"Just came to drop off this file. Casey needs this for the trial." He answered. He grabbed the file off the sofa and handed it to Olivia.

"Thanks, but you didn't have to come all the way here to drop it off. I would have taken care of it."

"I had to check to see if you were okay. You seemed a little off last night at the bar."

Elliot shot Olivia a cautious look. She shook her head and smiled at Nick. "I'm fine, Nick."

Nick glanced over towards Elliot, then back to Olivia. "I'll see you later, Liv."

Once Nick left, Olivia quickly made his way to the bedroom with Elliot trailing behind. "What was wrong with you last night?"

"Nothing, El." She replied. She sat down on the bed and tossed her shoes off.

"Well something had to happen if you're back so soon."

"Nothing bad happened, El. I promise you that. You can ask Fin or John yourself."

"I think I'll pass on that right now." Elliot sat on the bed and turned to face Olivia. "So why are you back so early?"

"Cragen saw us last night." She responded.

"What? How?"

"He saw us. He heard us talking." Olivia got up and walked to the kitchen.

"I had no idea he was even there! His office was dark when I got there."

"I know. He said he was in his office sleeping and woke up when he heard us. He stayed late to do paperwork." Olivia opened the refrigerator and grabbed an apple from the bottom drawer. She walked over to the island counter and sat down on the stool.

"So why did he send you back?"

"Wanted us to get reacquainted." She said biting into her apple.

"Well we already started that process." Elliot chuckled. "So he knows that I'm back, besides your _new_ partner."

"Why the emphasis on 'new', El?"

"I don't like him, Liv."

"Of course you don't." Olivia laughed. "He's a lot like you, you know."

"Oh really?" Elliot asked. He stood on the opposite side of the island counter and placed his elbows on top and head sitting in his hands. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Well," Olivia began as she took another bite. "He's married."

"What does his wife do?"

"She's in the army. She's over in Afghanistan right now."

"I see. Well, go on."

"He has a daughter. He's not that bad of a detective. I'll give the guy credit. He knows what he's doing and adapting well to the unit. I just haven't told him that yet. Still getting used to—"

"Me not being there…" Elliot interjected.

"Yeah…" Olivia said quietly. "Oh, he's definitely the protective type. Reminds me of someone I know actually."

"Ha, you got that right… his crap story about coming over here to drop off a file. I saw right through him."

"There was a case we had a couple of weeks back where the new female detective Amanda Rollins went undercover and the perp we were tracking down almost got her in Central Park. Nick nearly beat the shit out of him."

"I bet he can't hit as hard as me." Elliot laughed.

"Oh I don't know, El. He can throw a mean punch." Olivia teased. "I'll tell you this though, the way he was all protective of her and how she defended herself and yelled at him definitely reminded me of us."

"That's just what Don needs, another Benson and Stabler in the unit." The two laughed at the thought of Cragen going crazy with a mini-me Benson and Stabler.

"Tucker wouldn't know what to do with himself." Olivia laughed.

"Yeah. That'll be a great thing to see. I'd love to see the look on Tucker's face."

Olivia tossed her apple aside and noticed the stack of boxes by the door. "So, everything with Kathy go okay?"

"I guess. It's still kind of weird, but we'll get through it. Oh, the divorce was finalized a couple of days ago. I just got the papers today."

"That's good, right? I'm guessing that's why Kathy called last night?" Elliot nodded his head and sighed.

"Everything will be okay, Elliot." Olivia reassured.

"I know. I just have to sit down and actually talk to Kathy. Get everything straightened out with Eli and the rest of the kids, with us. I do still love her."

"I know you do. She's the mother of your kids and you've been married for so long."

"Yeah…" he mumbled.

"And as for us, El," Olivia said as she got up. She walked around the counter stood in front of Elliot. "I think we should take things slow. I don't want to rush anything. I'm still getting used to the idea of actually seeing you again."

"I understand, Liv. Don't want to chase you away or anything."

"Let's just take it one day at a time. Get back to how we were before. I don't exactly mean just being friends, but something like that. I'm still very hurt from what happened and I think if we kind of start from where we left off, it will be better for me. Mentally and emotionally."

"I'll do whatever you want, Liv. After all, you're letting me stay here until I find a new place."

"I'm glad you're here, El. I really am." Olivia smiled. She leaned towards Elliot and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Now, let's get you unpacked." She walked over to the door and picked up two boxes.

"Sounds good to me. What do you want to eat for lunch?" Elliot said grabbing two more boxes.

"I say Chinese." She said leading him to the bedroom.

"Of course." Elliot smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Special Victims Unit<br>****Squad Room**

Nick walked into the bullpen and threw his jacket on his chair. Amanda looked up from her paperwork and saw how aggravated he looked.

"Are you okay, Amaro?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. We get anything new?" he asked taking a seat at his desk.

"We did, but Cragen sent Fin and Munch to handle it." Amanda responded. She refocused her attention to the pile of paperwork on her desk and continued her work.

"Amaro, Rollins…" Cragen shouted from his office. The detectives looked at each other and got up, heading straight for his office.

"What's up, Cap?" Amanda asked as she and Nick walked in.

"We have a vic down at Mercy. She was sexually assaulted and seemed to put up a nasty fight."

"Why do you say that?" Nick asked.

"She beat the shit out of the guy. He's there too. Head down there and talk to them both. I'll have the other two meet you there."

The detectives nodded and made their way out the door. Cragen slouched back into his chair and sighed deeply.

"This won't go so well…" he said softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Mercy General Hospital<br>****Emergency Room  
><strong>**365 West 32nd Street**

Nick and Amanda walked through the emergency room entrance and head straight for the front desk.

"Hi, detective Nick Amaro and my partner Amanda Rollins from special victims. We got a call about a sexual assault?" Nick said as he and Amanda showed their badges to the doctor at the desk.

"Yes I called. Dr. Ron Lennon." He greeted. "Follow me."

"So what happened?" Amanda asked. She took out her small notepad and pen from her jacket.

"She was found curled up in a corner outside the girls locker room in the recreation center at Hudson University. There were signs of penetration in the vaginal area and her clothes were ripped. Luckily for her though, a friend walked in and found them. She and the friend fought back and did some damage. However, he fought back pretty hard and got his hand on the victim and knocked her out cold. He didn't get a chance to rape her. We don't know what he did with her friend though."

"Anything else?" Fin asked as he and Munch appeared. "Detective Odafin Tutuola and Sergeant John Munch." He introduced.

"We had to sedate the victim's friend. She was very out of control and we just found out that she is bipolar. We'll be moving her and the victim into a room shortly so you'll be able to see them soon."

"What are their names, Dr. Lennon?" Nick asked.

"The victim is Michelle Cameron. Her friend is Kathleen Stabler."

Fin and Munch quickly looked at each other and became worried. Nick and Amanda noticed the sudden mood shift and became uncomfortable as well.

"Thank you, doctor. Let us know when we can see them." Munch said. The doctor gave him a small nod and left the group.

"What is it? What's wrong with you two?" Nick asked.

"The victim's friend is Elliot Stabler's daughter." Fin responded.

"So what do we do then? Hasn't he been gone for nine months?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah. How the hell do we go about findin' him?" Fin asked.

"Well he should be at home so we'll call there now." Munch said as he took his cell phone out.

"Or you can just call Liv." Nick chimed in.

The other three detectives looked at Nick with confusion. "Why would we call Olivia?" Amanda asked.

"Elliot is with her now. I was just at her apartment and he's there." Nick answered.

"You've got to be kiddin' me, Amaro." Fin said.

"He's there. I met him myself."

Fin took out his cell phone and started to dial Cragen's number. "I'm gonna call the captain and let him know what's goin' on. Munch, give Liv a call."

Fin walked outside to make his phone call while Munch stood with Nick and Amanda to call Olivia. Nick and Amanda both felt a rush of uneasiness take over their bodies as they waited for Olivia to answer her phone.

* * *

><p><strong>Benson Residence<br>****203 W. 89th Street Apt 4D**

Olivia and Elliot were almost finished unpacking his belongings as they ate some popcorn. Elliot walked out of the bedroom to grab the last two boxes from the living room. As Olivia continued folding his t-shirts, her cell phone began buzzing on her dresser. She walked over and picked it up.

"Benson." She answered.

"Liv, we have an issue." Munch said on the other line.

"What is it, John? Everything okay?"

"No, not exactly. We have a vic here at Mercy, sexually assaulted."

"Okay. So what's the issue if you and Fin are there?"

"The vic had a friend that showed up during the act and she helped the vic beat the shit out of the perp. The vic is Elliot's daughter, Kathleen."

"Oh God…" Olivia said quietly. She rushed to the door to see Elliot still occupied with whatever he was doing in the living room. "Is she okay?"

"As we know is that she was sedated. And she possibly hasn't been taking her medication. Either way, she could be facing some charges. I think you should bring Elliot down here to make sure she is okay."

"Yeah, I'll let him know. We'll be there soon." Olivia said. She hung up the call and stared at the door. "Elliot?"

"Yeah, Liv?" he said walking into the door. He noticed the worried expression on her face. He sat the boxes down on the bed and walked over to her. "What's wrong? You got called in?"

"Actually, you did." She replied.

"Huh?" Elliot was now more confused than ever.

"Munch just called me saying Kathleen is at Mercy and they need you to go there."

Without hesitation, Elliot grabbed his car keys and was out the door. Olivia ran out following behind him. She grabbed her house keys and coat, then followed Elliot to the car.

* * *

><p><strong>Aha! Didn't see that coming, did you? Or maybe you did... eh. This chapter kinda just wrote itself... I was stuck at a dead end and here's what came out of it. Let me know what you think. I could also use some suggestions... just a little stuck with what to do next ;)<strong>


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: The Wolf man owns the characters, Alexz Johnson owns the song "How Strong Do You Think I Am?", and I own the story. One can only dream...**

**A/N: Hello fellow readers! I am SO sorry for the late update! Things at school just got very busy so I didn't have time to write. But here it is! The next chapter... thanks again to those that are reading the story, adding it to their alerts, etc. It makes me happy! I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Mercy General Hospital<br>****Emergency Room  
><strong>**365 West 32nd Street**

Elliot and Olivia arrived at Mercy Hospital in ten minutes. Elliot sped around the parking lot and stopped in front of the emergency room entrance. He got out the car quickly and ran to the doors. Olivia switched places and moved his car into the parking lot.

Elliot ran through the doors and began searching for Fin or Munch. Nothing but nurses and doctors walking back and fort. Elliot glanced over to a far desk in the corner and recognized someone. He made his way over to the man and slapped his hand on his shoulder.

"Amaro, what happened?"

Nick spun around and took in a deep breath. "We're waiting for your daughter and the victim to wake up so we can take her statements."

"Where is she? I need to see her!" Elliot shouted. He began pacing back and forth, anger building up inside.

"Once she wakes up, I'll have a nurse notify you."

"To hell with that. I need to see my daughter. Now."

"Elliot, you can see her now." Fin said, walking up to the pair. Elliot followed the detective down the hall to Kathleen's room. "It's great seein' you, man. Sorry it had to be like this though."

"Yeah, same here."

A few minutes later, Fin and Elliot arrived at the room. Elliot opened the door to see his second oldest daughter lying in her bed. He saw Munch standing on the opposite side of the door. He gave him a nod and walked over to the bed. He ran his fingers through his daughter's hair as he watched her sleep.

Fin and Munch left the room to give Elliot and his daughter some time alone. Munch closed the door slowly and started walking down the hall. Olivia finally walked in to meet up with them.

"So what's the story?" she asked out of breath.

"Both Kathleen and the victim are asleep. We just have to wait for them to wake up and get their statements." Fin responded.

"Okay." Olivia said quietly. She glanced around to find her partner, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where's Amaro?"

"He was talkin' to Elliot before I took him to Kathleen's room." Fin said. "Why don't you go check up on Elliot and wait for Kathleen to wake up, baby girl. We'll send Amaro in once we find him."

Olivia gave Fin a smile and walked to Kathleen's room. She slowly opened the door and found Elliot sitting next to Kathleen's bed. He turned around and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Hey."

"Hi. How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, I'd rather be punching a wall or door right now." Elliot chuckled. He stared back down at his daughter and his eyes grew big.

Kathleen started to nudge around, and then her eyes opened. She shot up and started to panic.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, Katie." Elliot said trying to calm her down.

"Dad?" Kathleen hugged her father tightly. She looked pass her father's shoulders and noticed a familiar face standing in the background. "Liv…"

"Hi, Kathleen. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess." She replied breaking away from the hug.

"El, I'll be right back." Olivia said. She walked out of the room to look for her partner.

"So what now?" Kathleen asked her father.

"Well, Liv and her—her new partner have to get your statement about what happened." Elliot choked up. It was hard to say his former partner's name and "new partner" in the same sentence.

"I really don't want to do it, daddy. I can't."

"Sweetie, it will be a quick process. Just tell them the truth and it will be over."

Olivia returned to the hospital room with Nick and Amanda. They walked in and stood in front of Kathleen's bed while Olivia lingered by the door to watch.

"Kathleen, I'm detective Amaro and this is detective Rollins. Is it okay if we ask you a couple of questions?"

"That's why you're here, right?" Kathleen snapped. Elliot studied her movement as she sat up straight in the bed.

"Okay then. So can you tell me what you and Michelle were doing before the attack?" Nick asked. Amanda took out a notepad and pen to take notes.

"We were at the recreation center playing basketball with some friends." Kathleen shifted again to fix her pillow. "We were there for a couple of hours."

"What time did Michelle leave the group?" Amanda asked next.

"I guess she left around eight. She wanted to go take a shower since the locker room was empty. I stayed in the gym."

"Was there anything suspicious or unusual you noticed about Michelle before the attack?" Nick asked.

"Uh no… don't think so. I mean she seemed pretty normal to me."

"Does she have a boyfriend?" Amanda asked.

"No. What does that have to do with me?" Kathleen asked.

"Just wondering…"

"Okay next question." Nick chimed in. "When did you decide to leave and look for her?"

"About forty-five minutes later or so. I know she likes to take long showers, but they usually last a half hour at most. I got worried. When I asked my friend at the front desk if she saw Michelle leave, she said no. So I went to the locker room to look for her. When I walked in, I heard someone screaming. I knew it was Michelle. Her high pitched scream is something you can't avoid." Kathleen laughed.

"Anyway, I saw the guy trying to rape her. He ripped up her clothes and had her trapped in a corner. I ran up to him and punched the shit out of him. He fell over and I helped Michelle up. The both of us then decided to give him a piece of our mind. Once we were done, I got her cell phone to call 9-1-1. Michelle just fell back in the corner and sat there until the paramedics and police came."

"Is that it, Kathleen? Anything else you want to tell us?" Olivia asked from the door.

Kathleen shook her head. "How is Michelle? Is she okay?"

"The doctor said that she is okay. She will recover perfectly fine. The man you beat up however is bruised up pretty badly."

"So where does that leave me? Am I getting charged? Oh my God, I can't get arrested again." Kathleen shouted. She began panicking and throwing her bed sheets on the floor.

"Kathleen, calm down. I won't let that happen. They won't let that happen." Elliot said as he jumped to his daughter's side. He quickly shot a glance at Olivia and Nick. "Right?"

"Well, we still have to talk to Michelle and get her side of the story. And we still have to talk to Casey and see what she thinks." Nick replied.

"Don't worry, El." Olivia said as she walked up to the group. "I think Casey can work something out. Kathleen only beat the crap out of the perp because her friend was in trouble. We can't really charge Michelle either since she did it to defend herself. Once we get the facts, we will get it worked out." Olivia gave Kathleen an assuring nod.

"Detectives, the victim is awake and settled in her room. You can see her now." A nurse said as she walked into the room.

Nick turned to Olivia and gave her a small nod. "We'll go talk to her."

The two detectives left the room with Olivia still behind with Elliot and Kathleen.

"Liv, Kathleen cannot get arrested again." Elliot said. He stood up from his chair so he can stand in front of Olivia.

"I know, El. I'll do everything I can to avoid that. Just remember, this isn't my case. I'm just helping Rollins and Amaro. This is their first case without the 'big guys'."

"Just make sure that partner of yours doesn't screw this up. I swear I'll hurt him if he does."

"El, calm down." Olivia laughed. "Everything will be okay. I'll come back in a bit."

Olivia patted his shoulder and left the room. Once the door was closed, Olivia quickly lay back against the wall and sighed.

"Hey Liv. Feeling okay?" Munch asked. He reached his arm out to give Olivia a bottle of water.

"I'm fine." She grabbed the bottle and drank some water.

"Ah, the famous phrase we all know and love." Munch got closer to the detective and lowered his head. "How are you really?"

"How am I supposed to feel? One minute I'm being told that we're getting new detectives. Cragen then tells me Elliot turned in his papers and I had to pack up his desk. Next, I get a random package and it turned out to be from Elliot. After nine fucking months, he just appears in my life with a small note he couldn't even drop off himself. The next thing I know, he's sitting at my desk in the squad room. We go back to my place as if nothing ever happened. The next day he tells me his marriage with Kathy is officially over and he's now living with me. And now we're here because of his daughter beating the shit out of a prick that decided to try and rape her friend."

"Looks like you have been very busy, my friend." Munch smirked.

"This is not funny, John." Olivia smacked him on the arm.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"So how am I supposed to feel? So much has happened in so little time. My head is spinning in so many directions."

"You're a strong gal, Liv. You can get through anything."

"I'm not so sure anymore." Olivia walked over to the waiting area and sat in a chair.

Munch followed behind and sat next to her. "Olivia, you will get through this. I know the past nine months have been hard on you. It's been hard on all of us. We lost one of our own and it wasn't easy to deal with. At least you can move forward and finally heal. Elliot is back, despite how it happened. And you seem a little more relaxed now than you did yesterday. So with him being back in the picture has changed a lot already."

"Yeah, I guess it did." Olivia smiled.

"Just keep holding on, Liv. You'll be fine." Munch gave Olivia's back a small pat and got up from his seat. "I'll go sit in with Amaro and Rollins."

Olivia nodded and slouched back into her chair.

_How strong do you think I am?  
><em>_How much can I take of this?  
><em>_Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?  
><em>_Or the breath at the end of a kiss?_

* * *

><p>"Michelle, can you tell us what happened after your shower?" Amanda asked the young woman.<p>

"I—I went back to my locker to get dressed." She said quietly. "I heard the door open and someone walked in. I asked who it was, but I didn't get an answer."

"What happened next?" Amanda asked softly. Munch then walked into the room and quietly moved to the nearest corner to watch.

"As I was getting my things together, someone grabbed me and threw me on the floor. I started screaming and asked the guy to get off of me. He didn't listen though. He ripped up my clothes and tried to take them off, but I kept kicking and swinging my arms to get him away. He just fought back and pinned me down. I—I was cry—crying and pleading him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. Next thing I know, Kathleen came him and pushed him off of me."

"And what happened after that?"

"We started to hit him. He was on the floor and the only thing I could think about was beating the living daylights out of that guy. After a couple of seconds, my mind kind of blacked out. I woke a few seconds later in the same corner he had me in. Kathleen was on the phone and the guy was just lying on the floor. I blacked out again and woke up here."

"Thank you, Michelle. I think we have everything we need for right now. We'll keep you updated." Nick said.

He and Amanda left the room with Munch, heading for the waiting area. They met up with Olivia and Fin.

"Do we have everything we need?" Olivia asked, sitting up in her chair.

"I believe so. We have statements from Michelle and Kathleen, we have the results from Michelle's rape kit, and the suspect is laying in a hospital bed until he wakes up from his induced coma." Nick replied.

"Well the Captain wants us to stay put until we get more details about the perp." Fin said, directing his words towards Munch.

"We'll head back to the station and start the paperwork." Amanda said.

She and Nick turned and started to walk to the exit. Nick turned around and saw Olivia still sitting in her chair.

"Are you coming, Liv?" he asked.

"Can you give me a minute?" Olivia rose up from her chair and walked to Kathleen's room. She opened the door and walked in, only to find Kathleen lying in bed. She looked around for Elliot, but his jacket on a chair was present.

"He left a couple of minutes ago, Olivia. He's talking to my mom." Kathleen said.

"Is everything okay? With them, I mean?"

"Who knows? My mom looked pretty pissed when she showed up."

"Well," Olivia sighed deeply. "Just let your father know that I'm heading back to the precinct. I'll be back a little later to check up on you."

"Thanks, Liv." Kathleen said with a small smile. With that, Olivia walked out the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Special Victims Unit<br>****Squad Room**

A couple of hours have passed and the detectives have been working non-stop on their current case.

Nick and Munch stood in front of the big desk staring at the many computer screens in front of them, studying the evidence they have. Fin sat with Amanda as they went over the statements they got from Kathleen and Michelle. Olivia sat at her desk filing out paperwork.

"What do have now?" Casey Novak asked as she walked into the bullpen.

"We have the statements from Stabler's daughter and the victim, we have the rape kit, and our perp is lying in a bed in Mercy." Nick answered, not breaking his focus from the screen.

"Do we know when he's going to wake up?"

"Not yet. Doctors put him in an induced coma." Olivia answered.

Casey opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by someone else. "OLIVIA BENSON!"

Olivia quickly shot up from her desk as Kathy walked into the squad room. "What's wrong, Kathy?"

"I swear to God that you better fix this mess with Kathleen! She can't get arrested again!"

"Kathy, calm down. We're working on it. I'm going to try my best to fix this all up."

"I don't believe you!"

"Kathy, why don't we go talk in private?" Olivia suggested as she grabbed her arm.

Kathy reacted quickly by pulling her arm back and smacking Olivia in the face with her hand. Olivia placed her hand on her cheek and shook her head.

"Alright, let's go." Fin said as he grabbed Kathy's arms. He placed them behind her back and led her to an interrogation room.

"Are you okay, Liv?" Casey asked.

"Yeah…" she said quietly. "I'm fine." Olivia followed Fin and Kathy to the interrogation room, her blood boiling inside. Casey quickly trailed behind.

_How deep do you want to go, because I'll go there if I can,  
><em>_You make it harder than it has to be,  
><em>_How strong, how strong do you think I am?_

* * *

><p><strong>Stay tuned, my friends. Read, review, do what you do best.<strong>


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Dick Wolf owns SVU, I own the story, Alexz Johnson owns the song.**

**Sorry again for the late update! I've been very busy with last minute semester stuff, like finals and such. But here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy. I'm still having some trouble figuring out where to go with this, but I think this will turn out okay. Thanks again for reading!**

* * *

><p>Fin sat Kathy in a chair, her hands still cuffed behind her. Olivia walked into the room with Casey and closed the door behind her.<p>

"Can you at least take these damn things off of me?" Kathy angrily.

"Not exactly." Fin responded. "You did assault a police officer, you know."

"Well, obviously." Kathy shook her head. "I didn't mean to though… I let my anger get the best of me, and I'm sorry. I only came down here to talk to Olivia about Kathleen..."

"This isn't my case, Kathy." Olivia explained. "I'm just overseeing the detectives working the—"

"Olivia, please. Can I just talk to you?" Kathy asked.

Olivia stared at her partner's ex-wife. She could see that she was worried about her daughter. She looked suspicious, though. Kathy definitely had something else on her mind, but only time will tell.

"Fine. We'll talk." Olivia said. "Fin, un-cuff her."

"Do you want us to stay?" Casey asked quietly.

"No. Just hang in the hallway. Get Amaro and Rollins though. If she wants to talk about Kathleen, they need to be here. I'm pretty positive she has a different conversation in mind, so give us a few minutes before you send them in."

"Sure thing." Casey led Fin out of the interrogation room and into the hallway.

Olivia walked up behind them and closed the door. She took in a deep breath, pushed her anger to the back of her mind, and then turned around to face Kathy, who was sitting in the chair smiling. Olivia balanced herself against the door and crossed her arms.

"Alright Kathy, what is this really about? I know you didn't come down here just to talk about Kathleen. You slapped me for another reason."

"Good work, detective." Kathy said with the smile still on her face. "I see you have a new necklace and badge. They're pretty shiny… who gave them to you?"

"Ha! Are you kidding? You came down here to talk about this? I know Elliot already told you he gave me this."

"Oh he did… and I just want to say I'm pretty pissed. Still pissed, actually. He never thought about giving that medal to me. He said he wanted to keep it for himself. Once I found out that he gave it to you, I knew that everything I thought was true. You ruined our marriage!"

"Kathy, you can't blame me for why your marriage failed."

"I'm pretty sure I can, Olivia. Ever since you showed up in the picture thirteen years ago, I knew something changed in Elliot forever. I wasn't sure what it was, but I knew that you were behind it."

"Get real, Kathy! I didn't place some freakish spell on Elliot so he could fall in love with me. Your marriage was already failing. I even tried to help you both!"

"You did it out of pity, Olivia. I knew you always wanted him. You just couldn't wait for the opportunity to snag him up. I bet you were crushed when he told you about coming back to me after our first separation. I bet you were crushed when you found out I was pregnant."

Olivia gulped. Kathy was right. Elliot going back to Kathy after they separated a couple of years back, plus her being pregnant with Eli, did hurt a little. She couldn't let her know though. "Kathy, I was happy that he went back. I was happy to hear about Eli! I helped deliver that boy! I was scared for the both of you!"

"Well thanks for being so caring. So where is Elliot now, Olivia?"

"He should still be at the hospital. You know, the one you work at, Kathy?"

"No, not that. I mean, where is he living now? You know he just came home this morning and packed all his stuff? He didn't mention anything about finding an apartment so soon. So where is he staying, Liv? He's probably staying with you, isn't that right?"

"Why does it matter to you? You're not his wife anymore, Kathy?"

"He will always be mine, Olivia. No matter how you think about it. We got married, we had five kids. He'll always be my first love."

"Kathy, from what I heard, you pretty much moved on already. So why are you still hounding Elliot's life? The only thing you should worry about regarding Elliot is your children, not his love life or what he chooses to do with it." Olivia said boldly.

"Oh, you little bitch!" Kathy shouted as she rose up from her chair.

Fin quickly entered the room with Nick and Amanda. "Mrs. Stabler, here are the detectives in charge of Kathleen's case. Liv, Casey needs to talk to you."

"Thanks Fin." With that said, Olivia walked out the room and closed the door. She stood in front of the one-way glass, watching the detectives talk to Kathy.

"Are you okay, Liv?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?" she asked.

"Well, considering what just happened. I figured you would be all—"

"Case, I'm fine. Kathy clearly has some issues she needs to work out with Elliot. She doesn't bother me the slightest bit anymore."

"Are you sure? You seemed a little bothered in there."

"Trust me, Casey. I'm fine." Olivia said to her friend. "I know how I feel and I know how Elliot feels about me. He obviously isn't letting me go anymore. We still have some things to talk about, but it will be okay. I'm gonna head back to the hospital. Keep me updated."

Olivia patted Casey's shoulder and left. Casey watched her walk off and sighed. She turned back around and walked into the interrogation room to join the detectives.

"Can you please explain this again? I don't think I'm hearing you correctly." Kathy said.

"Although we have enough evidence to charge the guy who raped Kathleen's friend, there is a possibility that we have to charge her with assault." Amanda explained.

"But why? She defended her friend! Doesn't that count for anything?" Kathy asked.

"Mrs. Stabler, we're going to try our best to make sure this stays as simple as possible." Casey explained. "Yes, she defended her friend. However, she did do a nasty number on the man and there is a possibility that he might press charges against her. After all, she wasn't the girl he was trying to go after."

"And that makes it okay?" Kathy shouted.

"No, of course not." Nick replied. "We're going to talk to Kathleen once more, then the man, and then we'll talk to a judge."

"I'll present the evidence the detectives gathered up and I will try my best to keep Kathleen from being charged. I know you and Elliot want the best for her, and since she hasn't been taking her medication like she should, that may help us get what we want." Casey said.

"Wait what? She hasn't been taking her meds?" Kathy asked quietly.

"No." Nick answered. "The doctor examined her and didn't find a trace of her medication in her system. Which could be the reason why she acted out the way she did."

"So you can use that to help her?"

"One option we have open is to get her to plead guilty and then send her to a rehabilitation center for a few weeks, just so she can get back to her usual self. She hasn't been taking her medication for months." Casey suggested.

"Okay then… I guess I'll get going. I have to talk to Elliot about this now. Thanks." Kathy nodded her head and left the room.

"She is one wack-job." Amanda said once the coast was clear.

"You don't even know the half of it." Fin added.

"Wait, did she say she was going to the hospital now?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, why? Somethin' wrong?" Fin asked the ADA.

"I'll see you guys later." Casey rushed out the interrogation and ran through the bullpen.

"Is everything okay, counselor?" Cragen asked as he stepped out of his office.

"Did Olivia leave yet?"

"Yes, a few seconds ago. You might be able to catch her before she gets on the elevator."

Casey gave the captain a nod and ran to the elevators. Seems like he was right, because Olivia just step foot into the elevator as she arrived.

"Liv, wait!"

"What's wrong?" she asked, stepping out the elevator.

"I'm going with you."

"Oh Casey, that is not necessary. You don't need to tag along with me."

"Oh yes I do. Kathy is heading to the hospital now. I think I should be there, just in case she tries something again."

"She wouldn't dare to do anything with Elliot there."

"Are you sure about that? Last time I checked, she was pissed. You don't want her causing hell in the hospital, especially in front of her daughter that has been off her meds."

Olivia's grew big as she covered her mouth with her hand. "His kids don't even know what is going on. I don't think they know the divorce was finalized yet..." she said quietly.

"Well, let's get moving." Casey and Olivia walked into the elevator and left the precinct, making their way to the hospital, hoping to beat Kathy there.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for a short chapter. Next one will be longer.<strong>


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! I'm so, so, so sorry for this late and short update. Things have gotten very complicated the pat couple of weeks. I was happy to get the chance to write a little today so I thought I'd update this story! A new chapter for _Here We Go Again_ will hopefully be up this week. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Elliot sat in waiting room, tapping his foot on the ground continuously. The doctor came by to check on Kathleen so he patiently waited outside until they were done. Elliot continued to tap his foot, making time pass by faster.<p>

"Elliot!" a voice shouted from a distance.

Elliot shot up from his chair and saw Kathy walking in his direction. "Kathy, she's fine."

"Are you sure? I heard she hasn't been taking her medication! Why would she do this knowing the consequences?" Kathy exclaimed.

Elliot grabbed his ex-wife and sat her down in a chair. He took the one next to her and sighed. "Everything will be fine. The doctor is in with her now. They put her back on her medication and she has been asleep for a while."

"Okay…" she responded quietly.

"Mr. Stabler?" Dr. Lennon said as he walked out the room. His guys grew wide when he saw Kathy sitting next to Elliot. "Hi, Kathy."

"Hi, Ron. How is she?" Kathy asked as she and Elliot stood up from their seats.

"She is looking a little better now that she is on her medication again. She is still a little tired though. The medication kind of hit her hard, but she is doing perfectly fine."

"That's good to hear." Elliot said with relief.

"You can see her now if you wish." Dr. Lennon smiled and continued his rounds in the hospital.

Kathy began walking, but Elliot grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Before we go in, we need to talk about where we stand."

"What are you talking about, Elliot? I am perfectly fine. I mean, my ex-husband is now with some home wrecker. What's there to talk about?"

"You know damn well that our marriage was over a long time ago, Kath."

"Your point is?" Kathy asked. She crossed her arms and glared at Elliot.

"You can't blame Liv for this. You can't hate her because I chose to give my Marine medal to her. You can't hate her because she's the woman I love now."

"And why is that, Elliot? Yes, I admit that our marriage fell apart long ago. And yes, I admit to being in denial about it. But damn it, I hate that she won!"

"Won? What are you talking about?" Elliot asked.

"Ever since she came into our lives I knew things would change. You guys always had a different relationship. You understood each other, and you were able to sense what the other person was feeling. The way you looked at her, Elliot. I could see that you really loved her. I just didn't want to believe it."

"Kathy…"

"I wanted to believe that things with us would stay the same, but that obviously didn't work out. I believed you when you said nothing was going on with her, but it didn't stop me from feeling hurt. The connection you two have… we used to have that, but we fell out of love and lost that connection as time passed. All I can do now is accept the fact that we are officially over and we have to move on with our lives."

Elliot pulled Kathy close and gave her a tight, meaningful hug. She was shocked at first, but returned the gesture. Elliot pulled away and kissed her forehead. "You know that I will always love you, Kathy. You gave me five beautiful children. We had many fond memories over the last twenty years. I will always love you for that."

"I know…" Kathy said with a small cough. "It sucks though, you know? We haven't dated since high school."

"Trust me, I know." Elliot laughed. "You will find someone that will love you unconditionally, Kathy. You will find someone that will bring you nothing but happiness every single day."

"I know I will. I just hope that I find someone special to share that connection you have with Olivia." Kathy smiled. "And I'm just going to apologize in advance."

"For what?" Elliot narrowed his eyes towards Kathy.

"I might have said some hurtful things to Olivia back at the precinct. It's only because I was hurting. It will still take some time to accept everything, but eventually I will be okay."

"Why don't you go in and say hi to Kathleen?" Elliot smiled. Kathy turned around and walked into the hospital room.

"Did we miss something?" Casey asked as she and Olivia finally arrived.

Elliot turned around and smiled. "Nah. Just making amends, I guess."

"Is everything okay, El?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah."

"How is Kathleen?" Casey asked next.

"She's doing better. The doctor said the medication made her very tired, but she is doing a lot better now."

"I'm going to head in and talk to her." Casey passed by Elliot and walked into the hospital room.

"How is Kathy?" Olivia asked quietly.

"She's uh… she will be fine. Time will heal her. She is sorry for whatever happened at the precinct, though. Now what exactly happened there? Did she threaten you?" Elliot asked quickly.

"No, El. We just said some hurtful stuff to each other. I'm fine though. It's not like I wasn't expecting it." Olivia shrugged her shoulders.

"Are you sure, Liv?"

"Yes I am positive." Olivia smiled. She glanced at the door and saw Kathy walk out. She passed by and patted Elliot's shoulder lightly. She gave Olivia a sheepish smile and left.

"Let's head in." Elliot grabbed Olivia's hand and walked into Kathleen's room.

"Hi daddy, hi Liv." Kathleen said quietly.

"Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?" Olivia asked.

"Definitely better. I kind of wish I was home. How's Michelle?"

"She's doing well herself. She was just discharged a while ago." Olivia responded.

"And hopefully you'll be able to leave tomorrow morning." Elliot added.

"Great. So where do I stand against this whole assault charge?" Kathleen asked Casey.

"We still have to figure out a plea with the guy and his lawyer. But you should be okay though. No need to arrest you, as long as you agree with the plea."

"Which consist of?"

"Going to a rehab center for a few weeks. Just to keep an eye on you. We want to make sure that this little episode doesn't come back around for a third time."

"I think I can live with that." Kathleen replied.

"That's nice to hear. I'll stay in contact with you and your dad with any updates. Feel better, Kathleen." Casey said with a smile. She walked up to Olivia and pulled her aside. "Are you staying?"

"Yeah, head back. I'll be fine." Olivia smiled.

Casey waved goodbye to everyone in the room and left. Elliot sighed as he looked at Olivia, then towards Kathleen.

"Is everything okay, dad?"

"Katie, we have something to tell you…" Elliot said as he sat next to her bed.


	11. Author's Message

Hello fellow SVU readers! I am so, so, SO sorry for not updating my stories! College has gotten incredibly busy for just being a few weeks into the semester. And to add to that, I never have any time alone to even write. The boyfriend has moved in and he kind of doesn't know that I even write :-P. So the only chance I really have to write is when I'm at school and I actually have some free time. I have also been experiencing some writer's block with the stories...anyhoo, I just wanted to apologize. Thank you to everyone that has read my stories! And don't worry, I plan to update both stories very soon! Stick around :-)!

- Jazzy Fe


	12. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: story is mine. Characters and the song are not. Although I wish I could own the SVU gang...**

**Here is the next chapter! Kathleen gets some interesting news... how well does she take it?**

* * *

><p>Kathleen eyed her father as she sat up in her bed. "What is it, dad?"<p>

"Well," Elliot began. "You know your mother and I had some issues—"

"'Some' issues? Get real, dad. You two are a mess. Everything between you two is shitty." Kathleen laughed.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh after hearing what Kathleen had said. Elliot shot a look towards her and she continued to laugh. "I'm sorry, El. You know it's true."

"Yes, I suppose so." Elliot refocused his attention on Kathleen. "That's not the point though. Anyway, we filed for a divorce a few months ago and it was just finalized."

"So you two are officially done?"

"Yes we are. Are you upset?" Elliot asked as he studied his daughter's facial expressions.

Kathleen shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Not really. I mean, ever since you quit your job and stuff got complicated with you two, I guess I saw it coming. The way Dickie and Lizzie described it, it seemed very bad."

Elliot's eyebrow rose. "What did they say?" he asked with anger in his voice.

Kathleen chuckled as she rested her hand on his arm. "Dad, that's the least of your concern right now. Point is, we all saw it coming. Are you and mom at least on good terms with each other?"

"Yes we are, at least I think so."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Nope. You are the first to know. I was hoping Maureen would stop by soon so I could have told you two at the same time, but I guess it's better to say it now than wait."

"What about the twins and Eli?"

"Your mom and I will break it to them later."

Kathleen nodded and relaxed her body so she can lie down. She looked at Olivia and could see that something was bothering her. She turned back to her dad and sat back up. "There's something else, right?"

Elliot opened his mouth and looked back at Olivia. She gave him a small smile and he smiled back. He turned to Kathleen, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Kathleen, I—I mean we—"

"You two finally got together?" Kathleen asked calmly.

"Uh…yes…how'd…" Olivia managed to get out her mouth. She looked at Elliot with the same look of confusion, then back towards Kathleen. Her arms were crossed and she was still smiling.

"We all saw that coming too. No doubt about it."

"We? What do you mean 'we'?" Elliot asked.

"Oh come on, dad. Only a moron would not be able to see that you two were madly in love with each other!" Kathleen exclaimed. "All of us could see it. Mom, everyone at the precinct, Casey. Alex, Melinda—"

"Okay. We get the picture." Elliot laughed nervously. He looked back to Olivia and gestured her to move close.

She walked over and pulled a chair up next to Elliot. "Are you okay with this, Kathleen? I know it's hard for you to accept some new changes like this…" Olivia asked.

"I'm totally okay with this. When I first noticed it, you can say that I was angry about it. But I can see how happy dad is with you. You're practically family to us, so why not? I know Maureen will be ecstatic when she finds out."

"Are you sure, sweetie? I mean, if this is too much for you then—"

Kathleen held her hand up and smiled. "Dad, I can see that you're happy. Let's face it; you and mom were over a long time ago. Olivia balances you out. You're not as much of a jerk when she's around."

Elliot laughed at his daughter's comment and he pulled Olivia close to him. He kissed her on the head.

"If being with her makes you happy, then it makes me happy. It makes all of us happy. Mom will be okay. I know she has someone else she's been interested in for a while now. We're all happy for you, the both of you. You'll have to talk to Dickie though."

"Why is that?" Olivia asked.

"He might kill me for this, but he had the biggest crush on you for the longest time, Liv." Kathleen laughed.

Olivia's jaw dropped as she processed the words she just heard. Elliot was laughing as he held her close. "You don't say?"

"It's a Stabler thing." Elliot joked.

"Well, that's nice to know." Olivia chuckled. She raised her arm and glanced at her watch. She stood up from her chair, fixing her coat.

"I should probably get going. I have to head back to the precinct to fill out some paperwork." Olivia said.

"Okay, I'll walk you out." Elliot stood up from his chair and grabbed his jacket.

Olivia looked at Kathleen and smiled. "I'll talk to Casey about the details on the case. It will most likely get taken care of this week, so we'll keep you posted."

Kathleen smiled as she rested against her pillow. "Thanks, Liv."

Olivia nodded and left the room with Elliot following behind her. They walked pass the main desk in the lobby and walked out the emergency room entrance doors. Once they reached the car, Olivia turned to Elliot and smiled.

"I think that went pretty well, don't you?" Olivia laughed.

"Yeah, I thought Kathleen would have the most difficulty dealing with it."

"I guess the medication has made her extremely calm." Olivia responded. Elliot laughed as he stared at Olivia. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"What's wrong, El?"

"I'm just happy, Liv, considering a lot has happened over the past 24 hours or so."

"That is true. We'll get through it though. There's nothing to worry about, at least for now."

"Sounds good to me."

"Well, I guess I'll see you later at home." Olivia smiled.

"Yes you will." Elliot pulled Olivia into his arms and kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Olivia kissed Elliot once more and got into the car. Elliot watched her drive away. He sighed softly as he turned around to go back into the hospital.

* * *

><p><strong>Special Victims Unit<br>****Squad Room**

Olivia arrived at the precinct, amazed to see how busy it was. Police officers were walking in and out of the squad room with files of paperwork in their hands. A few officers led suspects to interrogation rooms while a few others led witnesses to other rooms for questioning.

Olivia walked into the bullpen and sat at her desk. She looked around and noticed that her colleagues were nowhere in site. She took her jacket off and sat it on the back of her chair. She grabbed a pen and the first folder of the big pile that sat on her desk. She opened the folder and began reading through the report in the folder.

"Hey Olivia." A familiar voice said from behind her.

Olivia turned to find Cragen walking out of his office. "Hi Captain."

"I didn't think you would be in today." Cragen said as he appeared from his office.

"I actually came in to finish some paperwork."

"Just to let you know, the trial begins on Tuesday. I know this case belongs to Amaro and Rollins, but I want you to be there as well. You know, for support. They can use it seeing that this is their first case on their own."

"Yeah, no problem Cap." Olivia said as she turned back to her desk.

Cragen sat on the edge of Olivia's desk and studied her. "How's Kathleen?"

Olivia turned to him and sighed. "She's doing better now that she's on her medication again."

"Is she willing to take the plea if it has to come down to it?"

"Yes. She didn't second-guess the decision. She wants help to control her sickness. I'm proud of her."

"How are you, Liv? Honestly?" Cragen asked softly.

"I'm fine."

"Come on, Olivia. Don't give me that 'I'm fine' bullshit. I think I know you better than that."

Olivia laughed softly as she stared at her captain. "I'm serious. I'm fine."

"Are you positive? I know a lot has happened over the past twenty-four hours. I also know that there is a lot going on in your mind right now."

Olivia sat back in her chair and sighed. "I know a lot of shit has happened, and trust me, it has been one crazy ass process. But I'm okay. I'm okay with Elliot back in my life. Yes, there's a lot to talk about still. And yes, I must be crazy to be with him like nothing ever happened. However, I know for a fact that he's not going to leave again. I know that he's here for good. I know that we're good."

"What about Kathy and the kids?"

"Kathy has her own issues to work through with Elliot. As for the kids, Kathleen is the only one that knows about us. She took it surprisingly well."

"Are you truly happy, Liv? I know that these past nine months have been hell for you. I watched how his leaving affected you. And let me just say, it was not pleasant to see or deal with."

"I know." Olivia replied quietly. "And I thank you for dealing with me, Don. El leaving just… it took a big toll on me. But now that he is back, we can just go back to how things were. We have the opportunity to take our relationship to a whole new level. The man professed his love to me! How can I not be happy?"

Cragen stood up and patted the detective's shoulder. "I'm happy as long as you are. It bothers me to see you upset, Olivia. You're like a daughter to me."

"Thank you, Don. It means a lot." Olivia smiled.

Cragen gave a small smile and walked away. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to Olivia. "If Elliot does anything to make you upset again, I will kill him."

Olivia laughed as she processed Cragen's words in her mind. He sounded like such a concerned father, something she never experienced before. "Duly noted, Cap."

Cragen smiled and continued his walk back to his office.

* * *

><p><strong>First, thanks to the lovely people that are still reading this story! Second, another thanks to those that added me andor this story to their favorites and such. It means a lot! Third, yes, I know this was fairly short. I'm slowly getting back into the groove of things! Next up, the trial. Let's see how this goes...stay tuned. **


	13. 1011 Author's Note

**Hello everyone,**

**First, I just want to apologize to you all for being MIA this past year...I said that I'd be updating my stories again, and I was all set and ready to go the last time I left a message...which was back in February I believe...trust me, I want nothing more but to please my readers and finally continue working on my stories. I know you all have been eagerly waiting for a new update...**

**I do have to be honest about something though...ever since I lost my sister last October, and struggling with trying to finish up school to finally get my degree, I lost all motivation and interest in writing, causing some serious writer's block. Not exactly sure of where I want to go with any of my stories, and it sucks big time. With the 1 year mark of my sister's passing approaching quickly, I'm just not in the right mind state right now. **

**I will promise this to you though, I WILL continue my stories and I WILL do my very best to update soon. Just give me time...I thank those that have been faithful and still read my stories today. I will make it up to you guys, I definitely will...**

**I'll try my best to work on some new stuff and get the stories updated soon...again, I thank you all for your patience! Until next time...**

**- Jazzy xoxo**


	14. Chapter 11

**Trial Part 4  
><strong>**Friday, November 12**

"Ms. Cameron, can you please explain to the court what happened in the locker room on the night of the incident?" Casey asked as she stood in front of Michelle at the stand.

Michelle nodded and gave a weak smile. "I was at the recreation center on campus with a few friends. We went to play basketball. Around eight o'clock I decided to leave the group to go shower in the locker room. I got there and gathered everything I needed to shower. When I was done it was a little after eight thirty. I went back to my locker and started to sort through all my stuff. I heard the door open so I thought one of my friends came in looking for me. I asked who came in, but no one answered. I continued to get my stuff together and out of nowhere someone grabbed me. When I looked to see who it was, it was some guy and he smacked me. I was so scared. All I remember from that point was being pinned to the ground and my clothes basically torn off my body. He was hitting me and I was screaming and begging him to leave me alone. It didn't work though. He still tried to... to rape me."

"Is the man that attacked you present in this court room, Michelle?" Casey asked.

"Yes."

"Can you please identify the man that attacked you?"

Michelle raised her arm and pointed to the man sitting at the defendant table. "That's the guy that attacked me."

"Let the record show that the witness identified the defendant, Kevin Shard, as the attacker." Casey said as she turned to the jury. "How did you manage to get the defendant off of you, Michelle?"

"My friend Kathleen came in and pushed him off of me."

"Thank you." Casey turned around and went back to her seat. "Your witness."

Kevin's attorney, Donna Emmett, rose up from her chair and approached Michelle. "Ms. Cameron, why did you make the decision to take a shower at such a late hour in the locker room?"

"Well, the locker room closes at eight so it is usually empty the hour before. It was a good chance to take a long, relaxing shower without feeling rushed by someone else."

"Why couldn't you wait until you got back to your dorm room to shower?"

"I share the same bathroom with other girls on my floor. It is very hard to get a decent shower when so many girls want to shower at the same time."

"I see." Donna turned around and walked back to her table. "No further questions."

Casey stood up from her chair quickly. "Your honor, I would like to call a recess at this time."

"I agree. We will reconvene after lunch." The judge ordered. He got up from his post and left as the people in the courtroom began to clear out.

Olivia, Elliot, Nick and Amanda rose up from their seats and walked over to Casey's table.

"Well, so far so good." Casey sighed.

"So now what, Case?" Olivia asked.

"Kathleen takes the stand after lunch. Hopefully we can get through questioning her without any issues or surprises. Is she ready?" Casey asked Nick and Amanda.

"She's sitting out in the hallway now with Fin and Munch. I think she's good to go." Amanda replied.

"Great. I'll see you guys in a bit." Casey grabbed her briefcase and left the courtroom. The detectives and Elliot followed behind. Kathleen stood close by with Fin and Munch, feeling and looking very anxious.

"So, is it my turn now?" she asked.

"You'll be up in about an hour. We took a recess." Nick told her.

Kathleen sighed deeply as she sat back down on the bench. "I just want to get this done and over with."

"Don't worry, hunny. It will be over soon." Elliot assured her, taking a seat next to his daughter. "I trust these guys. Nothing bad will happen to you or your friend. She will get justice."

"Casey will do everything she can to make sure that happens." Olivia added.

"I know…" Kathleen responded quietly.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat. Munch's treat." Amanda said joyfully.

"I can definitely go for some wings!" Fin said.

"You, my friend, are limited to three chicken wings. You're too damn expensive." Munch said as he patted Fin's shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Stabler, what was your initial reaction when you saw Michelle being attacked by the defendant in the locker room?" Casey asked.<p>

"Well, I thought she was hurt. She was sobbing and screaming. He looked like he was going to rape her."

"So what did you do?"

"I yelled at him. Told him to leave her alone. He didn't listen. So I pushed him off and punched him. Pretty much went crazy on him."

"What happened next?"

"I remember waking up in the hospital. I felt different."

"How so?"

"I felt more calm, strangely relaxed. The doctors put me back on my medication."

"And what is the medication for?"

"Objection. What's the relevance of this questioning?" Donna asked as she stood up.

"Ms. Stabler has stated that she was put back on her medication again, meaning she's been taking it for a long period of time. The lack of medication in her system proves that she was not able to control her actions or emotions at the time of the attack."

"Over ruled. Answer the question, Ms. Stabler." The judge ordered.

"It's for bipolar disorder…that's what I'm sick with."

"And what kind of side effects does this sickness have if you are not taking the proper medication?"

"Emotional breakdowns, outbursts. Sometimes I have trouble remembering what I do during the day."

"Nothing further." Casey responded as she took her seat.

"Why haven't you been taking your medication, Ms. Stabler?" Donna Emmett asked as she took Casey's place in front of the stand.

"I thought I would be fine without it since I've been taking it for so long. I felt like I was in control of my life."

"Did you feel in control of the brutal attack that took place on my client? Lying on the ground unconscious as you continued to punch and kick him?"

"Objection!" Casey shouted.

"Sustained." The judge ordered.

"Are you blaming your sickness for this attack? Are you playing the victim to make my client look bad?"

"No." Kathleen replied. "I knew what trouble my sickness would cause if I wasn't properly taking my medication. No, I wasn't in control of what I did and I know it was wrong. But I don't feel bad about doing it. That bastard was going to rape my friend. I had to help save her before he did something serious."

Donna glanced over at the judge and nodded. "Nothing further for this witness." Casey watched Donna take her place next the Kevin and glanced over at Kathleen.

"We will take a ten-minute recess." The judge ordered. "Ms. Stabler, you can step down."

Kathleen stepped down from the stand and made her way over to Casey's table, heading straight for her dad. He hugged her tightly.

"So now what?" Kathleen asked.

"We'll hear the verdict after this short break." Casey assured her.

"C'mon Kathleen, let's go get something to snack on." Amanda smiled as she led her out the courtroom.

"How do you think this will play out?" Nick asked the ADA.

"Well, with Kathleen's case, it could go either way. She can be found not guilty due to her sickness, or she will be found guilty. She obviously knows what she did was wrong."

"But she had no control over that though, Case. You've seen her at her worse when her sickness takes over." Olivia stated.

"I have, but the jury hasn't. You have a girl that went bat crazy on a guy that was trying to rape her friend. He walks out the hospital with serious injuries. Her friend is suffering from trauma. Kathleen has agreed to take a plea if found guilty, so she knows that getting help is good for her."

"And what about Michelle? Where's the justice for her?" Nick asked.

"We'll just have to wait and see…"

* * *

><p>"Has the jury reach a verdict?" the judge asked the woman standing in the jury section.<p>

"Yes, your honor."

"Will the defendant please stand?" Donna and Kevin Shard stood from their chairs. The detectives, Elliot, Kathleen and Michelle sat on the edge of their chairs, waiting to hear the final verdict. "On the one count of rape in the second degree, how do you find the defendant, Kevin Shard?"

"We find the defendant not guilty." At that moment, the detectives and Casey's heart dropped at those two words. Kathleen and Michelle held on tightly to each other and sighed.

"On the one count of sexual assault in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?"

"We find the defendant guilty." Casey closed her eyes and sighed in relief. She looked over to Donna talking to her client, calming him down.

"In the case of Kathleen Stabler and assault in the first degree, how do you find the defendant?"

"We find the defendant not guilty." Elliot grabbed Olivia's hand instantly and gave it a tight squeeze.

"I thank the jury for its time. You are free to go. Court is adjourned." The judge ordered. Casey stood up from her chair to turn to everyone behind her.

"Good job, counselor. I think it all worked out for the best." Nick said.

"How are you feeling, girls?" Casey asked Kathleen and Michelle.

"I just want to get past this. Couldn't have done it without you, Ms. Novak. Thank you." Michelle said as she hugged Casey.

"You're welcome." Casey said with a smile.

"Detective Rollins, can you take me back to my dorm?" Michelle asked.

"Sure. See you guys back at the house." Amanda said before leaving with Michelle.

"I'll catch up with you all later. Gotta run home to check up on Zara." Nick patted Elliot's shoulder and headed out the courtroom.

Casey gathered her belongings and followed Elliot, Olivia and Kathleen out the courtroom. "So how about we all go out for something to eat? I could definitely use a bite after this long day." Elliot suggested.

"Sounds good to me. I just have to stop by my office." Casey replied. She sensed something was off and turned around to find Kathleen stopped in her tracks a few feet behind them. Elliot and Olivia stopped and stared at Kathleen.

"What's wrong, Katie?" Elliot asked as he approached her.

"I feel terrible, dad." She exclaimed.

"How come, sweetie? I thought you would be happy with the verdict?" Olivia responded.

"I am, for Michelle. I'm glad she got the justice she deserved."

"So what's wrong?" Elliot asked once more.

"I…I don't think it's fair that I'm standing here while I should be put away for what I did."

"Kathleen, you—" Casey started.

"No. Stop!" Kathleen shouted. The three adults stood in silence as they stared at Kathleen. "Look, I took it upon myself to stop taking my medication, knowing the consequences I would face. Even though I helped save my friend from getting raped, it doesn't excuse me from hurting that jerk the way I did, especially giving the state I was in. I obviously still need help in controlling my sickness."

"What are you saying, Kathleen?" Elliot asked as he studied his daughter.

"I still want to check into a rehab for help. I need help controlling this better, especially since I took myself off the medication." She replied, staring at Casey.

She took a step closer and raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure, Kathleen? You don't have to, you know. The judge didn't order you to—"

"I know. I want to. I want to do it for me." Kathleen said quietly.

Casey glanced back at Elliot and Olivia, who stood speechless. Elliot gave a stern nod and stood next to his daughter. "And we'll stick by your side throughout it all, sweetheart."

"I think I can arrange something. I'll meet you guys at the station." And with that, Casey made her way out the courthouse.

"Come on, let's get you home." Olivia said giving Kathleen a hug. She smiled softly and followed the same path out the courthouse.

"Don't worry, El. She's a strong girl." Olivia assured him.

"I know." He took Olivia's hand into his and followed right behind his daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone! I am back in action! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this update for the longest time. Not gonna lie, I had the hardest time trying to get back into this story. I completely forgot where I wanted to go with the trial, so this was the best I could do. But hey, at least I have an update for you all. And I'm so amazed to see how many people are still reading this story, favoring it, everything. You're truly amazing!<strong>

**So next up, things get worked out with Kathleen and her rehab, plus some EO lovin'. **


	15. Chapter 12

**Special Victims Unit  
><strong>**Squad Room  
><strong>**Friday, November 19**

A week has passed since the trial and things around the 1-6 precinct was starting to get back to normal. It was a typical Friday night in Manhattan. A fraternity party 2 miles away from the Hudson University campus got a little out of hand with a young college freshman accusing one of the fraternity brothers of assault. The station was packed with uniformed officers running about, people from the party being dragged in and out of interrogation rooms. The victim sat in Captain Cragen's office with Olivia and Nick, getting her statement about the assault.

"Okay Rachel, was there anything else you remember from the party?" Nick asked the young woman.

"N-no…I think that was it." She responded quietly.

"You did a good job, honey." Olivia said calmly. "Since we have your statement, it'll be best to take you down to the hospital and get checked out by a doctor."

"Wait, why? Do I have to go?" Rachel asked hesitantly.

"The doctor can recover any DNA the man may have left on you from the assault. It's our ticket to putting that man away for hurting you." Nick said.

Rachel turned towards Olivia and she gave her a reassuring nod. "You will be okay, Rachel. It won't take long to do and you'll have someone with you at all times in the hospital."

There was a knock at the door, followed by Cragen walking in with Amanda. "Detective Amaro, why don't you and Detective Rollins escort Ms. Simmons down to Mercy? I need Detective Benson to stay here."

"Yeah, sure thing, Cap." Nick said as he looked over at his partner. Olivia shrugged her shoulders and gave Rachel a smile.

"You'll be safe with Detectives Amaro and Rollins. If you need anything, you have my card." She assured her.

Rachel gave Olivia a sheepish smile as she followed Nick and Amanda out of the office. Cragen closed his door and sat down at his desk.

"What's up, Captain?"

"I want to talk to you about taking the Sergeants exam. It's coming up in a few months."

"What about it?" Olivia asked, trying to figure out his motive.

"I think it'll be a good idea for you to take it. We could use as much help around here as possible."

"We have enough people here, Cap. I think—"

"Liv, let's not beat around the bush. My time here is running out, as well as John's. Things are going to change, whether if you like it or not." Olivia sat down in her chair and stared at her captain. "And speaking of John, his retirement is actually coming quick. In a few weeks, it'll be his retirement party. And before you know it, he's gone from the unit. I need someone that can step up and handle the responsibilities, someone I can trust running this unit in my absence.

"So that leaves me…"

Cragen got up from his chair and walked around the desk, sitting in the chair next to Olivia. "You live for this job, Olivia. You work well with the victims and you work hard to get justice for them, sticking every sick bastard with a punishment they deserve for hurting them. I'll even help you prepare for the exam, even though I think you're in pretty good shape. I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't believe it to be true. There's no doubt in my mind that says you can't do it, because I know you can."

Olivia turned to Cragen and looked into his eyes, seeing that he was truly sincere about what he said. "And what about you?" she asked quietly.

Cragen sighed and adjusted himself in his chair. "Well, I still have some time before it's my turn to go, but not that much time. Which is why I could use another Sergeant to take John's place. Which also reminds me, I'm also arranging for another detective to get placed here."

"Another rookie? Don, I don't think I have the energy to show another rookie the ropes around here."

"No need to worry, Liv. This detective is experienced. Just wanting on paperwork to go through and get approved. The new detective should be here within the next few weeks." Cragen got up from his seat and glanced down at Olivia, still sitting in disbelief.

Seconds later, Fin knocked on the door as he walked in. "Hey Captain, we have a situation out here."

Cragen followed Fin out the office, but stopped in his tracks and looked back at Olivia. "You'll get through it, Liv."

Olivia nodded her head as Cragen left the office behind Fin. Her phone then started buzzing in her pocket. She took it out and saw that Elliot had texted her. She got up from her chair and walked out the office to her desk.

"Are you feeling okay, Liv?" Munch asked as he appeared from one of the interrogation rooms.

"Just a lot on my mind. I think I'm just going to head home early. Do you mind—"

"Get some rest, Liv." Munch smiled. Olivia gave her friend a smile as she gathered her belongings and headed out the precinct.

_How strong do you think I am?_

_How much can I take of this?_

_Am I a rock, or a rose, or a fist?_

_Or the breath at the end of a kiss?_

_How deep do you want to go, because I'll go there if I can,_

_You make it harder than it has to be,_

_How strong, how strong do you think I am?_

* * *

><p><strong>Benson Residence<br>****203 W. 89th Street Apt 4D**

Olivia opened the door to her apartment and was welcomed by an amazing smell of dinner being made. She placed her bag and coat on the couch as she walked into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around the chef standing in front of the stove.

"Whatever you're making smells so good, El."

"I figured a hot cooked meal is something you needed after a long week." Elliot said as he turned around to kiss Olivia.

"So what exactly are you making?"

"I have chicken baking in the oven, made my famous homemade mashed potatoes, and some corn on the cob. I also made biscuits."

"It sounds really good."

"Why don't you go relax a bit?" he said as he stirred the potatoes.

"Ugh, relaxing is so far from my mind…" Olivia grunted as she sat down at the island counter.

"What's going on, Liv?"

"Cragen laid a load on me before I left the precinct."

"What did you do now?" Elliot laughed.

"Very funny, El." Olivia chuckled. "I didn't get in trouble. He started off with telling me that he thinks I should take the sergeants exam in a few months."

"Oh wow, that's a big opportunity. An opportunity you deserve." Elliot said as he turned the burners down and focused his attention on Olivia.

"He then followed that by mentioning his and John's retirement from the force…he said that he's going to need all the help he can get when John leaves. Then he even said that he has another detective coming to our precinct."

"Oh yeah?" Elliot was caught off guard by the news. "Well…that's um, interesting news for sure."

Olivia noticed his hesitant answer, but didn't act on it. Maybe he was just as shocked as she still was.

"But yeah, that's just a lot to take in. I've always imagined being in charge of the SVU later down the line, but not like this and surely not this fast. I also don't want to leave Nick without a partner, or with a new one at that. I'm just getting used to trusting someone else with my life when it comes to the job."

Hearing those words leave Olivia's mouth stung Elliot. Even though it wasn't intentional, he can still sense that she was still hurt from him leaving all those months ago. Olivia had finally realized what she said and gasped.

"I'm so sorry, El."

"No, it's okay. I get what you mean." Elliot said quietly. He walked over to Olivia and hugged her. "I understand that this is a lot to take in when you're still adjusting to changes."

"I just can't imagine working there without Munch or Cragen anymore. It's such a weird thought and feeling. I mean, they're pretty much my family…I can't imagine not having them in my life anymore."

"Hey, it's not like they're moving to a whole other country, Liv. They're still going to be around, just not as co-workers anymore."

"That is true…"

"Hey, enough of this. Why don't we enjoy this lovely meal I made?" Elliot smiled.

"I like the sound of that." Olivia said as she got up to assist Elliot with dinner.

After finishing dinner, Elliot and Olivia decided to enjoy some wine while watching a movie, enjoying each other's company as they cuddled on the couch.

"Remind me again why we agreed to watch 'The Fast and The Furious'?" Olivia laughed as she got up to stretch her legs.

"Nothing else was on TV. It was a good movie." Elliot replied.

"You figured after the third one, this franchise would end. But no, this is what, number 7 now?"

"Hey, it beats watching 'The Nanny' on TV Land." Elliot said as he motioned Olivia to sit next to him.

"I love that show though." Olivia said as she snuggled back into Elliot's arms.

"Well, there's something that I love that can't be seen on TV…"

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"You." Elliot kissed Olivia softly. She moaned as he shifted their bodies, her laying on her back and him on top.

"Why don't we continue this on something more comfortable, Stabler?" Olivia asked breaking the kiss.

"You read my mind, Benson." Elliot grinned as he got off the couch, picking Olivia up, and rushing to her bedroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello everyone! So I am back in action! So sorry for the very long hiatus! And sorry that this chapter wasn't much, but at least it's something. It's getting harder to think of how to continue this story for you all-writer's block is something else...so it looks like this story will be coming to an end very soon. HOWEVER, I have an awesome idea to continue where this story ends in a whole new story. More details to come...but for now, enjoy and I'll be back with another chapter soon!<strong>


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